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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27331489">Mr. &amp; Mrs. Magnum</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bicoco/pseuds/Bicoco'>Bicoco</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mr &amp; Mrs Magnum Series [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Episode 2x18, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, I'm trying to fix the whole fake marriage plot, Married Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:14:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>34,524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27331489</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bicoco/pseuds/Bicoco</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In episode 2x18, after her talk with Katsumoto, Higgins turns to TC to be her fake husband. But what would have happened if he said no and she had to actually go back to marrying Magnum for her visa?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Juliet Higgins &amp; Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV, Juliet Higgins/Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mr &amp; Mrs Magnum Series [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2184294</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>284</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>385</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Higgins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hello everyone!!!</p><p>I'm finally back for more than an OS this time.</p><p>When I was writing Juliet's Nest, I kept thinking about the other side of the "marriage for a visa" coin. I know it has already been (greatly) done before but who's tired of married fics, right?</p><p>This is going to be a long fic (it's still a Work In Progress) and I'm keeping with the weekly scheduled Sunday night (In France) posts.</p><p>As you may know me as a writer, the ratings will go up starting chapter 6 ^^</p><p>I want to thanks a few very helpful people in the midst of this painful writing process: @fightuntilyoucan and @Historiia for the help during the writing process and @HPfangirl_13 for all the editing. You girls, are truly gems.</p><p>And lastly, I don't own anything related to Magnum PI, sadly so I'm only borrowing them to fix what the show can't give us...</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>
  
</p><p>Juliet Higgins was nothing if not sensible. It was possibly the first quality – or flaw – people attributed to her since she was a little girl. Little Juliet, always so serious and wise beyond her years, would never act recklessly. It had helped her on a regular basis during her career at MI6 and it was still a precious personality trait nowadays to counterbalance her partner’s hotheadedness.</p><p>She and Magnum had just solved a case and she still wondered how they managed this accomplishment with everything that was happening on the sidelines.</p><p>Their wedding.</p><p>The thought of her and Magnum getting hitched made her scoff. It was so preposterous her brain had some trouble wrapping around the information, even though her rational mind told her it was because she was on the verge of being deported and getting married to Magnum would prevent that.</p><p>Sure, that was a pretty good enough reason to get married, or at least that’s what her partner had thought since he was the one who proposed. Never mind that it was illegal and they were not remotely in love with each other.</p><p>The young woman usually enjoyed her rational side, it comforted her to base decisions on hard evidence instead of fleeting emotions.</p><p>But tonight, it was her worst enemy.</p><p>For the first time in her 35 years of existence, Juliet wished she was less practical because it made her second guess everything. Especially since her conversation with Katsumoto had hit home. She had been completely selfish and inconsiderate to even think about putting Magnum through all of that. He could risk his livelihood, his freedom, and for what? So she could stay in Hawaii instead of going back to the UK? It seemed like a steep price to pay for keeping her as his work partner.</p><p>And what about all their fights and bickering? They couldn't look less than a couple if they tried. She was certain she and Jin would do a better job being a fake couple than her and Magnum, not that she was considering exchanging Magnum for Jin.</p><p>Although…</p><p>There might be someone she could turn to.</p><p>She grabbed her phone and dialed TC’s number. After explaining everything, from her initial doubts to Katsumoto’s advice, she finally gathered her courage and asked him the famous question. Her friend told her to meet him at La Mariana in an hour because they sure had a lot to discuss.</p><p>When she arrived at the bar, he was already settled at a booth, waiting for her. She slid in the seat across from him and Rick brought them their favorite drinks before they even ordered.</p><p>« So, Higgy, you want to ditch my boy Thomas and marry me? » the tall man chuckled.</p><p>When she heard him talk like that, it sounded like a bad thing. But if her sensible mind came up with this idea it must have been at least a bit plausible.</p><p>« You know Magnum, he only offered because he felt obligated. Since my immigration lawyer couldn’t find another way, I guess marriage is still my only option. I just can’t go through with it with him. »</p><p>TC took a sip of his beer.</p><p>« And why is that? It would make a lot more sense for the two of you to get married than you and me. »</p><p>« Why do you say that? Look, if you’re not okay with taking his place, I totally understand… »</p><p>She didn’t have time to finish before he interrupted her.</p><p>« I’m not saying no, I’m just curious about your motivations, that’s all. Being married, even if it’s not for real is still a big deal. Both parties have to be willing to make it work. »</p><p>« That’s why it would be better with you. Magnum doesn’t take anything seriously. I’m still convinced he sees it as a big undercover operation and has no idea what it entails. »</p><p>TC chuckled.</p><p>« You would think that, but let me tell you something about TM. He is a family man without the family. During our time in Afghanistan and in the POW, he was the glue that held the four of us together. If he proposed to you, he certainly didn’t do it half-heartedly and he certainly didn’t do it out of obligation. The man was made to be a husband. »</p><p>Juliet’s eyes filled with tears against her will. His words made her feel even more awful.</p><p>« Don’t you think I know that? But it’s not a real marriage to become a real family. All I have to offer him is some illegal trap disguised as a marriage. I don’t want to be the one standing in the way of his dream to have a family. »</p><p>TC barked out a laugh.</p><p>« Way to sell the project by the way, it totally makes me want to marry you. Jokes aside, Thomas already has a family and it’s you. »</p><p>TC put his hand on top of hers in the middle of the table and Juliet tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat at her friend’s words.</p><p>« It’s also Kumu, Rick, me, and even Katsumoto. We all are his Ohana. And he’ll do anything he can to keep us together. »</p><p>« I don’t know if I can play the part at all times. We are always together, we work together and we live together. We would need to look like a couple basically 24/7. Someone is bound to find out the truth about us and then what? I get deported, Magnum loses his license, and goes to jail. »</p><p>« Excuse the vocabulary, but that’s bullshit and you know it. Couples work together all the time and we don’t expect them to grope each other during their work hours. And even outside of work, not all people are comfortable with PDA. Does that mean that if we both get married, we would have to kiss during karaoke night just to show everyone we’re a real couple? Because I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that. And if we’re found out, I could lose a lot too. »</p><p>« I know TC, and that’s why you’re totally free to refuse my offer, » she sighed.</p><p>He squeezed her hand and smiled gently at her.</p><p>« I’m going to respectfully decline your offer, Higgy baby. But not because I could lose everything if the sham was discovered. I would risk it all for you, my sister. »</p><p>Her lips involuntarily stretched up in a smile even though he was basically rejecting her, but he was right when he said they were all an Ohana and having all these amazing people around her warmed her heart.</p><p>« I think you should give Thomas a chance. He will most definitely surprise you, in a good way.  Besides, I’m not really ready to leave my trailer to live at the Nest. »</p><p>He took a sip from his beer straight from the bottle and gave her a toothy grin that she was unable not to return. It was really a shame he refused her proposal because being married to TC would have been so much easier for just about everything. But she heard what he told her and she respected his choices.</p><p>Once she finished her cocktail, she drove back to Robin’s Nest, her head still as full of doubts as before. She grabbed her running gear and went for a run on the beach with the lads in an attempt to think things through.</p><p>Earlier, she had been plagued down by what Katsumoto had told him and she had to admit he had some compelling arguments about her not marrying Magnum. But the more she thought about what TC had told her, the more she reckoned he was also right about her and Magnum making sense.</p><p>They were always together, which meant that they could have developed feelings for each other during work or during the many evenings they spent together either at the Nest or at La Mariana. Sure, they were poles apart from each other but, as per the saying “opposites attract”, it was not that crazy to believe they could have fallen in love.</p><p>The living situation was also ideal; they were already practically living together.</p><p>The bickering could also be explained as unresolved feelings making themselves known in the weirdest way. Though, they would have to refrain from doing it in public once they were “married”.</p><p>Her brain was now totally on board with marrying Magnum since everything could be explained rationally.</p><p>But then, why did she still have that weird feeling at the bottom of her stomach?</p><p>She suddenly stopped running, imitated by Zeus and Apollo, as realization struck her.</p><p>Maybe what had been holding her back from the beginning wasn’t her rational side, but on the contrary her emotional side?</p><p>Maybe she wasn’t as sensible as she pretended?</p><p>And how in the bloody hell did she feel about her partner? </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Magnum</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Magnum whistled cheerfully as he finished preparing himself for the bachelor party Rick and TC were throwing him. He still couldn’t believe he had proposed to Higgins. He was even more amazed by the fact she agreed, not that she had a lot of other options to renew her visa.</p><p>He chuckled at the memory of her expression when he called her “Mrs. Magnum”. He was going to have fun with this.</p><p>He couldn’t wait to actually get hitched with Juliet and while it surprised him because he wasn’t <em>in love</em> with her per say, he knew this marriage would allow her to stay by his side.</p><p>He was confident he was doing the right thing.</p><p>He turned towards the entrance, ready to leave, when he heard someone knock before the front door opened to reveal Higgins.</p><p>She was wearing a red, long, flowing dress that was tied on her left side, the kind that made him want to try and pull on the ribbon and see what would happen.</p><p>He pushed these kinds of thoughts aside for now. It wouldn’t be appropriate to entertain these reflections while she was standing in front of him.</p><p>Besides, he had been worried about her since they had wrapped up their latest case.</p><p>“Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for hours.” He asked her.</p><p>“I needed some time to think about something,” she explained noncommittally.</p><p>“You’re not second guessing the wedding I hope?”</p><p>He meant it as a joke but when he saw her somber look he knew she had been. His chest tightened at the thought of her canceling everything and leaving him to go back to the UK.</p><p>He took her left hand in his.</p><p>“You know you can always talk to me if you want.”</p><p>She smiled at him but he noticed that it didn’t reach her eyes. He dropped his gaze to his shoes for a few seconds, trying to gather the right words to make her feel better.</p><p>“Look, I can’t even imagine how stressful this situation is for you. It’s basically; either you marry me or you’re being deported, which is not the greatest state of mind to be in to organize a wedding. But I need you to know that I want to be there for you. You’re one of my best friends and I’m here to help you.”</p><p>Her eyes lit up slightly at his words, which warmed his heart.</p><p>“I know, Magnum, and I’m really grateful for your friendship and what you’re doing for me.”</p><p>A rush of warmth traveled his body, knowing he could improve her mood and she trusted him enough to reassure her. He might get hooked on that feeling of pride and do anything to make her feel better.</p><p>“Wait here, I have something for you,” he said as he dashed upstairs to his room.</p><p>He pulled his metal trunk where he kept all his belongings from his walk-in closet and searched for the small velvet case he knew was in there. He smiled when his hand came in contact with the soft fabric before it wrapped around the small object. He opened it to pick up the jewel that was inside and dumped the empty box back into its former place before rushing downstairs to join Juliet.</p><p>“Okay, close your eyes,” he told her as he approached her with his hand behind his back.</p><p>She sighed.</p><p>“You know I hate surprises, Thomas,” she told him, yet she still closed her eyes.</p><p>He grabbed her left hand in his and slowly slipped on the engagement ring he held between his thumb and index finger. She gasped and opened her eyes when she felt the cold metal sliding up her ring finger. The jewel fit perfectly and Magnum’s heart clenched when he saw that particular ring on Higgins’ finger.</p><p>“Why did you buy me an engagement ring?” She cried out. “A simple wedding band would have sufficed.”</p><p>“It’s more realistic that way,” he justified himself. “Do you like it?” he asked her nervously.</p><p>It was a thin, simple golden band with a few tiny inlaid diamonds leading to a round shining sapphire in its middle.</p><p>“I love it,” she breathed. “It’s very beautiful.”</p><p>He still held her hand and took the opportunity to run the pad of his thumb gently across the blue stone.</p><p>“I know it’s not much,” he told her softly.</p><p>“It’s perfect,” she whispered as she squeezed his hand. “Did it go with the offer Kamekona got on your tux?” She chuckled, and Thomas knew she was attempting to joke to hide her nervousness.</p><p>“Something like that.” He acquiesced.</p><p>He didn’t tell her the whole truth just yet, knowing she would be uncomfortable wearing it if she found out it was his mother’s ring.</p><p>He sighed and looked at his watch.</p><p>“Sorry, Higgy but I have to go, I’m supposed to pick up Jin and go to La Mariana for my bachelor party. The groom can’t be late to his own party, right?”</p><p>She let go of his hand.</p><p>“Yeah, Kumu and I are going out to dinner for my bachelorette party. Can’t be late either.”</p><p>Magnum sensed that the dynamic had shifted between them as her gaze lingered on him, not ashamed anymore to show him her emotions and he hoped his words and gift had managed to put her nerves at ease.</p><p>He needed to go or he would spend the whole evening trapped inside her soft eyes. He leaned towards her slowly and brushed his lips against her cheek bone.</p><p>“You look beautiful tonight, Juliet,” he whispered in her ear and he didn’t know if it was his imagination but he felt her whole body shiver.</p><p> </p><p>XXXXXXX</p><p> </p><p>Later, after La Mariana was closed for business and everyone had left, Magnum and TC were sitting on comfortable chairs on the illuminated patio, both nursing a beer. Rick joined them, wearing a proud grin as he produced three cigars from behind his back.</p><p>“Cubans! Only the best for my BFF’s bachelor party. You only get married once!”</p><p>Thomas met his friend’s gaze and raised his eyebrows, not impressed with Rick or TC’s sense of humor about his situation.</p><p>“Well, you know what I mean,” Rick added quickly as he distributed his gift to the two men.</p><p>« How much did these babies cost you, Orville? » TC asked, not surprised with the blond man’s grand gesture.</p><p>Rick waved his hand nonchalantly.</p><p>« Practically nothing. I asked a guy who owed me. »</p><p>Magnum studied the brown cylinder between his fingers before bringing it to his nose. He scrunched it slightly as he wasn’t a huge fan of tobacco in general but since his friends wanted to throw him an unforgettable bachelor party, he would play along.</p><p>« You know what? With this thing, a mustache and a glass of scotch in the other hand, we could pretend we’re on an 80s TV show. »</p><p>TC laughed out loud and Rick pouted. They lit their cigars and opened another round of beers.</p><p>“I still can’t believe Jin left with that stunning woman,” Thomas chuckled before sipping his drink.</p><p>“Are you jealous already, TM? You know, once you’re married to Higgy, you won’t be able to date or even entertain one-night stands,” TC teased him.</p><p>Magnum scoffed.</p><p>“I’m not jealous, just astounded that Jin always manages to have beautiful women on his arm. I know I will have to be celibate while I’m married to Higgy, I’m not dumb. And you know what? I don’t even care about that, as long as she can stay in Hawaii and keep working with me, that’s all I want.”</p><p>“Are you sure that’s all you want, Tommy?” Rick asked him playfully.</p><p>“What are you talking about?”</p><p>“Come on, two people who are always bickering having to pretend to be a couple; that’s basically the beginning of a romantic comedy,” Rick laughed. “Not that I would know since I don’t watch those kinds of movies,” he added when he saw the look of mirth his two friends were throwing at him.</p><p>“Don’t worry about Higgins and I. We’re going to sign some papers and wear some rings but everything else will stay the same as now.”</p><p>Thomas saw TC smirk into his beer bottle but decided to ignore his reaction. Both he and Higgy would show his friends they could handle this marriage.</p><p>They enjoyed the cool evening air as they talked about everything, like they used to do in Afghanistan. Thomas felt so blessed to have his brothers in arms in his life.</p><p>“Thank you guys for throwing this party. It means a lot, even if it’s not a real wedding.”</p><p>“It may not be a real wedding but I haven’t seen you this happy since before the POW camp. It feels good to see you this way, man.” Rick told him.</p><p>“God knows how ecstatic you would be if you were marrying the girl for real,” TC grinned before exchanging a laugh with his blond friend.</p><p>Magnum shook his head, not amused with their teasing, but he had to admit to himself that they were probably right.</p><p>“Ok, we can’t end a bachelor party without a speech from one of the best men.”</p><p>They all raised their beer bottles.</p><p>“To Mr. and Mrs. Magnum! May they find real happiness during this fake marriage!” Rick chanted.</p><p>Thomas groaned, if everyone called her that, Higgins was going to kill him before they could even get a divorce.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Higgins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Without further ado, the wedding :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Juliet knocked on the front door of the guest house before entering. She was supposed to meet Magnum to review the last details for the wedding since the ceremony was tomorrow.</p><p>She found him on the couch, engrossed in a game on his phone so she joined him and sat on the coffee table in front of him. He looked up and smiled at her before dropping his phone on the cushion next to him.</p><p>“I went to pick up the rings. I need you to try yours on and see if it fits,” she explained as she showed him a dark blue velvet box.</p><p>Once she opened it, he saw her own ring nestled above his. She took his and handed it to him. He slid it quickly up his finger: a perfect fit.</p><p>Her heart beat jolted slightly at the sight of the ring she chose for him on his finger. It was just a standard gold wedding band, but she had picked out a thinner one to match her own.</p><p>“Can I see yours?” he asked her.</p><p>She opened the box again and showed him the remaining band, the one she chose for herself that matched perfectly the beautiful engagement ring he gave her. At first, she had been annoyed with his decision to make a bigger deal out of this arrangement by offering her this jewel but she had to admit it was gorgeous and she loved it very much.</p><p>Thomas picked up the ring and inspected it with a small smile.</p><p>“May I?” he asked her as he grabbed her left hand.</p><p>She nodded and he slipped the thin gold band with inlaid diamonds on her finger. Juliet’s breathing quickened when she thought that tomorrow they would do this for real.</p><p>“Perfect,” he breathed.</p><p>“Yes,” she agreed. “Can you give it back? I’ll entrust them to Kumu until tomorrow.”</p><p>They put the rings back in the box and Juliet stood up, ready to leave for the main house.</p><p>“Well, I guess everything is set; we just have to show up on time tomorrow,” she told him.</p><p>“There’s still something we haven’t mentioned yet,” he said as he rose from the couch.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“The kiss.” He said matter-of-factly.</p><p>“What about it?” she asked as she crossed her arms across her chest.</p><p>“Do you want to rehearse it?”</p><p>"Why would I want to do that? We're not in public, we don't have to pretend." </p><p>"We need to practice." </p><p>She laughed.</p><p>“I don't know about you, Magnum, but I’m sure I remember how it’s done,” she said sarcastically.</p><p>“I won’t even respond to that,” he chuckled. “But do you really want our first kiss ever to be in front of a priest and all of our friends tomorrow? Not to mention that it would look more real for the bride and groom to know each other <em>like that</em> before the actual wedding.”</p><p>Higgins fidgeted in front of him. He did have a point there.</p><p>“I guess you’re right,” she begrudgingly admitted.</p><p>He addressed her a beaming grin.</p><p>"Are you sure?" </p><p>She sighed. </p><p>"Yes, let's get it over with, shall we?" </p><p>“You’re ready?”</p><p>She nodded and almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. But when Magnum threaded his fingers in her hair at the back of her head and closed the distance between them, her mirth died in her throat. Instead, she flushed and felt her heartbeat quicken when he pressed his mouth firmly against hers.</p><p>His soft lips moved gently against hers until she granted him access so he could slip his tongue into her mouth and her brain vaguely informed her that they probably wouldn’t make out in front of the priest tomorrow, but who cared? She let herself be carried away by the sensations he was arousing in her and anchored herself to him as she wrapped her arms around his back.</p><p>They were forced to separate when they couldn’t breathe anymore. They looked at each other, out of breath, and Juliet needed to leave immediately before she made an ass of herself.</p><p>“Well, I guess we’re ready for tomorrow then,” she stammered. “I’ll leave you to it.”</p><p>She turned toward the front door but was called back by Magnum.</p><p>“You forgot the rings!” He said with a grin.</p><p>Right, everything was fine, she thought as she grabbed the velvet box, not at all flustered by their kiss.</p><p> </p><p>XXXXX</p><p> </p><p>Watching her reflection in the mirror, Juliet was frozen. She knew everyone was waiting for her, including her <em>fiancé</em> – she still had trouble associating Magnum with the word fiancé – but her thoughts were crippling her.</p><p>Her throat was tight, her heart was beating erratically and her whole body was boiling. What was she doing? The only time she had imagined herself in a wedding dress was five years ago when the most charming man had proposed to her. They had been so in love that the thought of her wedding had put her on cloud 9.</p><p>Today though, it filled her with mixed feelings. She wasn’t one to believe in the sanctity of marriage so it wasn’t because she thought she was betraying her own beliefs. The illegal part was still bothering her but she could live with it. Since she started working with Magnum, it had become a regular aspect of her life anyway as they often walked the thin line between what was legal and what was not.</p><p>No, what was making her reconsidering this wedding was the man she was supposed to marry. The kiss they shared yesterday had totally shaken her certitudes about if what they were doing was merely a business transaction. She had enjoyed their lip lock far too much, making her feel terrible as if she was taking advantage of his willingness to help her for her own personal gain.</p><p>“There you are.”</p><p>Magnum’s voice made her jump slightly. Their gaze met in the mirror without her having to turn around.</p><p>“You know, it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding,” she advanced softly.</p><p>“We never do what we’re supposed to anyway,” he told her as he shrugged his shoulders.</p><p>Her gaze traveled down his body before coming back up to his eyes. She turned around to face him and smiled at the vision of him in his suit with his hands in his pants pockets in front of her.</p><p>“You look beautiful, Juliet,” he breathed, beating her to it.</p><p>“And you look very handsome.”</p><p>She closed the distance between them until only a feet or so was remaining. She lightly traced the pink bow-tie he was sporting with her fingers.</p><p>“I never thought you would wear pink so well.”</p><p>She threw him a toothy grin as he rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Kumu made me! I had no idea why, until now since I've seen your hair.” He said, in awe, as he brushed his fingers against the pink flowers in her hair that were indeed the same color as his bow-tie and its matching pocket square, contrasting nicely with his shiny grey suit and white shirt.</p><p>“I’m having second thoughts, Thomas,” she admitted brokenly.</p><p>He took her left hand in his and grazed the pad of his thumb across the small sapphire on her fourth finger.</p><p>“I know you are, Juliet. But we can do this. We’re a team, and just like our partnership at work, we’ll ace this marriage. You’ll get your green card and after that, you can do whatever you want. I promise.”</p><p>“I feel like we’re doing something wrong.”</p><p>He caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers, stepping even closer to her.</p><p>“Juliet please, don’t make me live here without you. I need you to stay by my side,” he confessed in a shaking voice, “I’ll do whatever it takes.”</p><p>Higgins was dumbfounded. She had always thought about this marriage from her perspective and assumed it had been a sacrifice on his part but with what he just said maybe he was actually getting something out of their arrangement. She took a deep breath, suddenly relieved that their marriage would be mutually beneficial even if both of their reasons weren’t love.</p><p>She pressed her forehead against his.</p><p>“I’ll stay, Magnum. I promise I won’t leave you.”</p><p>She felt his body relax instantly and she couldn’t stop herself from running her palm down the back of his head, grazing her thumb across the shell of his ear. She heard the faintest moan coming out of him and told herself they should probably join their friends in the garden before they did something rash they would regret later.</p><p>“Shall we?” She asked him softly.</p><p>He nodded against her and she smiled. She certainly picked the right groom when she noticed how he had calmed her nerves and assuaged her doubts with his words and presence.</p><p>They walked out of the main house hand in hand and walked towards their friends who were gathered in the garden. They were intercepted by Kumu who slipped a lei around both their necks.</p><p>“You both look amazing. I’m so proud of you!” She exclaimed.</p><p>“Thanks, Kumu,” they both answered at the same time.</p><p>They exchanged a glance and a smile.</p><p>They turned towards their friends separated by the scattered rose petals representing the aisle: Rick, TC, Jin and Shammy were on one side and Kumu, Katsumoto, Noelani, Tani and Quinn on the other.</p><p>“Rose petals, huh?” she teased him in a low voice, surprised to see this detail.</p><p>“Just like our first undercover job,” he answered her with the most brilliant smile she had ever seen. “Ready?”</p><p>“Lead the way, Thomas,” she told him as she slipped her hand in the crook of his arm.</p><p>As soon as they took their first step, in sync, the sound of ukulele floated around them. They walked towards the <em>kahu</em> standing in front of the beautiful flowery arch. The man, who was wearing a long robe and a lei, was smiling brightly at them. When they reached him, he started the ceremony.</p><p>He announced the groom and bride’s vows and Juliet and Thomas turned towards the other before grabbing each other’s hands. Magnum was the first one to go.</p><p>“The day I met you I never imagined I would be standing here with you,” he chuckled. “But the more I got to know you, the more I discovered what an amazing woman you are. I promise to try and make you smile every day. I’ll be your partner at work and in life. I’ll protect you as much as you’ll protect me; for as long as you’ll have me.”</p><p>Juliet’s breath hitched as her heart raced. His words had been so beautiful but she didn’t have time to dwell on them because the priest and Thomas were looking at her expectantly.</p><p>“I never could have imagined a better friend than you. You gave me faith in humanity again with your honesty and kindness. Since I met you, I now know what it means to have a family and I promise to do everything I can to make you feel the way you make me feel. I’m glad you’re in my life, Thomas.”</p><p>She heard someone blow his nose in the distance and if she had to bet, her money would be on Rick.</p><p>Kumu approached them to present the rings.</p><p>“Thomas, will you take this woman to be your lawful wife to have and to hold for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, in health until death do you part?”</p><p>“I do,” he said as he slid the golden band up her finger to join her assorted engagement ring.</p><p>“Juliet, will you take this man to be your lawful husband to have and to hold for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, in health until death do you part?”</p><p>“I do,” she breathed before she slipped the wedding ring on his finger.</p><p>A heat wave traveled the length of her body; they were married.</p><p>The kahu led them towards a small table nearby where two clear containers – one filled with white sand, the other with black sand – were placed next to a large, clear, empty bottle. Kumu had explained this Hawaiian ritual to them the day before. Each container with the sand represented the bride and groom and they were supposed to pour them into the bigger, empty container as a symbol of both their lives merging into one.</p><p>Thomas grabbed the one with the white sand and Juliet smiled; nothing more appropriate for the White Knight. She took the other one and was mesmerized as she watched both white and black sand mingle as they poured the containers into the large bottle.</p><p><em>Maybe they could do this</em>, she told herself, as the priest announced them husband and wife.</p><p>« You may now kiss the bride. »</p><p>Thomas wrapped one arm around her waist to pull her against him and her right palm cupped his cheek. They both exchanged a look full of promise and understanding before sealing their lips in a long, soft kiss.</p><p>She vaguely heard all of their friends cheering in the background but nothing else mattered but this instant with this man.</p><p>Her husband.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Magnum</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone,</p><p>I decided not to change the rating for this chapter but fair warning there are a bit of mature content in it.</p><p>Just so you're not caught off guard ;)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Magnum tied his towel tightly around his hips as he emerged from the shower. He shivered slightly when the early morning air met his damp caramel skin on his way to his walk-in closet – well <em>their</em> walk-in closet.</p><p>A week ago, Thomas became a married man and since then, he had been sharing closet space with his wife. Nothing would be out of the ordinary in this situation, except for the fact that while all of Juliet’s clothes had migrated from the main house to the guest house, she had not.</p><p>Higgins was still sleeping in her old room in the main house and she had actually packed a suitcase for the week like she was going on a freaking vacation. He understood the logic behind her decision; immigration often came unannounced to inspect the living situation of people asking for green cards. </p><p>Since she had moved all of her things to the guest house, they wouldn’t have to think about an excuse as to why they were living apart as a married couple in case of a surprise investigation.</p><p>Thomas wasn’t exactly disappointed about her not actually living with him. After all, the guesthouse only had one bedroom, but he felt kind of hollow living alone after marrying Higgins.</p><p><em>Well at least</em><em> I don’t have to be careful about being naked in my room,</em> he thought as he dropped his towel on the floor and went to retrieve some underwear.</p><p>The trouble was that since Higgins had reorganized all of his stuff to make room for hers, he couldn’t find anything anymore. He was sure she did it on purpose to annoy him. Just because they were now husband and wife it didn’t mean they weren’t still getting on each other’s nerves.</p><p>He was standing there, in all his naked glory, opening and closing random drawers, thankful no one could see him that way, when something colorful caught his eye.</p><p>He had to blink a few times before he realized what it really was – Higgins’ lingerie drawer. His jaw dropped slightly, quite impressed with the large array of colorful pieces of lace and silk she seemed to possess.</p><p>Juliet Higgins wasn’t who he thought she was. She always seemed so prudish and stern that he had been far from imagining this more adventurous side of her. </p><p>Now his treacherous mind was conjuring the image of her wearing a quite delightful red lacy number while she was posing lasciviously on his bed, waiting for him to join her. He groaned as he felt his penis stir when all of his blood started to rush downward.</p><p>This situation was getting ridiculous and seriously out of hand. He thought he could handle some PDA with his wife to maintain their cover, but this was actually taking a toll on him. </p><p>First, there had been the kisses they shared before and during the wedding. He hadn't been ready for the rush of emotions they created in him. He could still feel his lips tingling like some kind of ghost sensation and he pursed them, trying to get rid of the residual feeling that had been disturbing him for days now.</p><p>Then, there had been their first test as a married couple in front of a client who got the time of their meeting wrong and had arrived an hour earlier. Thomas was just coming back from his kayak session when he saw Higgins, dressed for yoga, talking to the man in question. He went to them and acted like an infatuated husband as his fingers grazed her naked back before his arm wrapped around her waist.</p><p>This small contact seemed innocuous enough yet his heart raced all the same and he didn’t want to let go of her. He added a kiss to the top of her head before he greeted their client, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo in the process. </p><p>They had only been married for a week. How could he survive several months or even a year in these conditions? </p><p>He knew that since his break-up with Abby he hadn’t had a fling and this dry spell combined with this new physical closeness with Juliet was making him quite a bit on edge. </p><p>He looked down at his semi hard-on and shook his head. He wasn't an hormonal teenager so he decided to ignore his growing desire and think about unsexy things while he looked for his freaking underwear. He needed to get ready because he had an appointment with the object of his not so innocent musings. They had a practice session for the immigration interview scheduled in 30 minutes.  </p><p>As he kept searching through his closet, his eyes caught the glint made by his wedding band on his hand and a smile appeared on his face. He hadn’t been prepared for how much he would love this small weight around his finger, or the joy of seeing all of her belongings amongst his. </p><p>Their lives were truly and irrevocably entwined and he would lie if he said he didn't like it. </p><p>"Ah!" he exclaimed as he finally found what he had been looking for. </p><p> XXXXXXX</p><p>“I can’t believe you’re not taking this more seriously! You’re the one who’s been badgering me about us acing this test and you won’t even tell me the answer?” Magnum complained loudly.</p><p>He got up from the armchair and marched towards the pool table, clearly agitated.</p><p>“You’re doing this on purpose! Asking me indiscreet questions under the false pretense of the immigration test! And I’m supposed to just tell you every secret I have? No way!”</p><p>Magnum raised his arms in surrender. This woman was clearly insane and she was trying to drive him as crazy as she was.</p><p>“That’s exactly what we’re expected to do! Married people aren’t supposed to keep secrets from each other. I’m entitled to know how many guys my wife has slept with before me!”</p><p>“Need I remind you we didn’t and will never sleep together?” she added, clearly annoyed at him.</p><p>He didn’t know who was the most frustrated by this series of fake questions between the two of them. When he agreed to work with Juliet on the usual questions immigration asked to young couples asking for a green card, he was kind of hoping it would help him learn more about her past. After all, he didn’t know much at all about her life before she had moved to Hawaii.</p><p>However, instead of making real progress in getting to know each other better, they were trying to learn every bit of insignificant information about the other, like what color their toothbrushes were or where they spent their summer vacations as kids. And boy, some small towns in the UK were just hell to pronounce, let alone remember.</p><p>As soon as Thomas tried to make the game of questions interesting by asking how old she was when she lost her virginity or how many guys she slept with, she had started freaking out and yelled at him that it was personal.</p><p>He had the intuition she was more embarrassed than appalled by his questions.</p><p>“You can ask me anything you want, you know?” he told her as a peace offering.</p><p>“What makes you think I want to know anything about you, Magnum?” she asked him as she crossed her arms on her torso and lifted her chin in defiance.</p><p>She was so adorable when she pouted and that was why Thomas loved pushing her buttons so much. </p><p>“Well, who wouldn’t want to learn more about me?” he smugly declared as a joke.</p><p>She rolled her eyes, which was exactly what Magnum had been aiming for. She was always too serious and could use a bit of fun in her life, which was his new mission - bringing her as much levity as possible to counterbalance her sober side.</p><p>“I’m not going to let you use this immigration test as an excuse to play a game of “Truth or Dare” with me,” she berated him.</p><p>He shrugged.</p><p>“It would be an efficient way to learn about each other but suit yourself.”</p><p>At the same time her phone started to ring and she picked up after looking at the screen.</p><p>« Yes, Kumu? »</p><p>As soon as the older woman told her why she was calling, Juliet paled which worried Thomas instantly. What kind of news could have her reacting that way? He hoped no one was in trouble.</p><p>« Thanks for calling, I’ll let Magnum know and I’ll get back to you. » she said before she hung up her phone.</p><p>He looked at her expectantly, impatient to know what Kumu had told her.</p><p>« Kumu has been called by immigration. They want her to testify about the truthfulness of our marriage and our living situation. »</p><p>She sat back down on the couch and buried her face in her hands in frustration. Thomas sat on the coffee table in front of her and took her hands in his, urging her to meet his eyes.</p><p>« Hey, it’s ok. We’ll find a solution, » he told her to reassure her.</p><p>« This situation is getting worse and worse. I already made a liar out of you, the most honest and truthful person I know. I don’t want Kumu to be in the middle of all this. What if she gets caught? » she ranted in a distraught voice.</p><p>Thomas sighed, he had something in mind but she wasn’t going to like it.</p><p>« Look, there’s a way to prevent everyone from lying for us. »</p><p>He paused to gauge her reaction, and when she raised her eyebrows, eager to hear what he had to say, he continued.</p><p>« You come live with me in the guest house and we don’t tell anyone what’s going on behind closed doors. That way, they can be honest and say that we live under the same roof and they don’t really know what’s going on in our private lives because we will keep it to ourselves. »</p><p>« Magnum, I already made you lie for me and I've actually hijacked your love life by having you be fake married to me. You’re telling me that you’re willing to let me invade the last of your personal space to keep up with the charade? » she asked him incredulously. </p><p>He brought one of her hands he was still holding to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles.</p><p>« I’ll do anything for you, » he told her earnestly. « And to stay out of jail, » he added with a smirk when he saw her eyes widen in panic.</p><p>He needed to be careful about what he said in front of her, even if it was all true. She eyed him suspiciously, trying to decide if he was serious or not.</p><p>« So what do you say Higgy? Wanna be roommates? » he asked her with the most charming smile he could muster.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Higgins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Buckle up, people! It's a long one!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Juliet tweaked with the settings of Magnum’s shower, still not used with the way to set it to the perfect temperature. It had been five days since she moved into the guest house with her husband - the apple of her eye, she thought sarcastically - and things hadn’t exactly run smoothly.</p><p>She had been craving for some alone time and the shower was the only place that was Magnum-free so she was taking her sweet time; not that he was home right now as she had seen him go towards the beach earlier. He could be paddling away halfway to China by now for all she cared.</p><p>Maybe she was getting a bit testy with the lack of personal space around here.</p><p>They worked together, lived together, and spent basically all their time together. Last night, she had to send him to his buddies at La Mariana just to enjoy a quiet evening by herself.</p><p>She was appreciative of everything Magnum was doing for her, she truly was, and she knew she wasn’t always the best company to be around either. She was just an introvert who loved quiet that was living with an extrovert who loved loud. They were just very different people who needed to learn and respect each other’s space.</p><p>She grabbed her shampoo, which was next to Magnum’s on the shelf, and started lathering her short hair as she thought about their first night as « roommates » as he put it.</p><p>As soon as she agreed to his latest proposal - it was becoming a habit at this point - she knew their living situation would be quite problematic. The guest house only had one bathroom, one bedroom and logically<em> one bed</em>.</p><p>She consented to move in with him only because she didn’t want to put all of her friends through the hardship of lying to the immigration department and risk their freedoms and livelihoods just because she was incapable of renewing her visa.</p><p>At first, she tried to sleep on the couch downstairs, but after two nights of tossing and turning, she gave up and snuck back to the main house when everyone had been asleep. She knew she couldn’t keep doing that or the whole purpose of living with Magnum would be totally mute.</p><p>Then, last night she had tried to cajole him into sleeping on the couch himself since she had often found him asleep on it. But his smug, infuriating, answer had been that he declined her quite tempting offer on the grounds that she has always been welcomed in his bed and he didn’t mind sharing it.</p><p>She decided to give the couch another go but at 3AM she gave up and tiptoed into his room to slid in next to him. After all, it was a king size bed, there was plenty of room for two sleeping adults. </p><p>Of course, he woke up as soon as she was settled next to him and she heard his snigger.</p><p>« Don’t gloat, » she warned.</p><p>She buried her face into the pillow that smelled like him and managed to quickly fall asleep.</p><p>This morning, when she woke up, he was already up and neither of them mentioned their new sleeping arrangements. </p><p>She grabbed her shower gel to wash her body. Maybe she just needed to go with the flow and stop overthinking things. After all, they were already two weeks into their marriage and they could still stand to be in the same room; it had to count for something.</p><p>Higgins turned off the water and squeezed the excess water out of her hair before exiting the shower. She groaned when she saw that she forgot to bring a towel with her and all of the fresh ones were in the walk-in closet. She wasn’t comfortable enough to risk walking to the closet in the nude and running into Magnum. She quickly scanned the room and saw his bathrobe hanging on the opposite wall.</p><p>He wouldn’t know about it, would he?</p><p>Just as she was about to head that way, the door opened and she was met with her « roommate », who was taking off his sweaty shirt as he came into the bathroom.</p><p>The whole scene was unfolding at the slowest pace when it had just lasted a few seconds. Juliet froze as if he wouldn’t see her if she was standing still.</p><p>Both had similar « deer in the headlights » expressions, and Higgins saw how his eyes subtly scanned the entirety of her body before he realized who he was actually gawking at and turned around quickly.</p><p>« Magnum! » She shouted as she ran towards the bathrobe before slipping it on swiftly.</p><p>« I’m sorry Higgy! I thought you had already gone to the study to work since it’s past 8, » he apologized earnestly and Juliet was inclined to believe his excuse.</p><p>It didn’t mean she was going to let him off the hook that easily though.</p><p>« Next time, make sure to knock before barging in, » She scolded him in a stern voice.</p><p>She blew past him in the direction of the closet to find some workout clothes. She was in dire need of some meditation.</p><p>She was sitting Indian style on her padded mat with her eyes closed, working on regulating her breathing - in through the nose, out through the mouth. She had hoped this exercise would help her calm her nerves because she was in no shape to deal with Magnum in the state she was currently in. Unconsciously, her fingers were drawn to the rings on her left hand, playing with the golden bands, turning them aimlessly around her digit.</p><p><em>So, he saw her naked, big deal,</em> she tried to reason. He had seen her in tiny bikinis before that were barely covering the strict minimum. It wasn’t that different, right? And it was bound to happen, living in close quarters like that. She would have preferred if the situation had been reversed though.</p><p>Wait, was she thinking about catching Magnum in the nude?</p><p>She sighed, how on Earth was she supposed to handle this marriage with Magnum when sharing a home with him for only five days had brought her to this state?</p><p>And she didn’t even think about the interview with the immigration agent tomorrow.</p><p>Their problems were only beginning...</p><p>XXXXX</p><p>Juliet eyed everything around her, making sure nothing was out of place in the guest house while brushing invisible lints from her summer dress.</p><p>The immigration agent would be arriving any minute now and she had sent Thomas upstairs to change out of his usual Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops.</p><p>Saying she was nervous would be the understatement of the year. She knew basically all of the cards for her to get a green card would be dealt today, and if they didn’t make the greatest impression as a couple in love, they would both be in a lot of trouble.</p><p>She jumped slightly when the chime from her phone startled her. There was someone at the front gate and Juliet knew it was too late to go back and divorce Magnum without anyone being aware of their fraud. She let the seemingly young woman she saw on camera in and put her phone down on the kitchen bar.</p><p>Showtime.</p><p>“Magnum! She’s here!” She yelled towards the stairs to inform her partner.</p><p>Kumu was keeping company to the lads so they wouldn’t scare the immigration lady away; they didn’t need that kind of terrible first impression.</p><p>There was a knock on the front door and Higgins checked her white dress with flower prints one last time before opening the door for the young woman.</p><p>“Hello! I’m Juliet, please come in.”</p><p>“Hi, I’m Margot Harris,” the young woman introduced herself as she offered her hand for Juliet to shake.</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Harris.”</p><p>“Oh please, call me Margot. You have a really beautiful estate.”</p><p>Higgins led the blond woman towards the lounge area where she sat in the armchair next to the couch.</p><p>« Oh it’s not ours. We are fortunate enough to be friends with the actual owner. I’m the majordomo for the whole estate and we get to live here in exchange. »</p><p>« Well your friend is very generous. » </p><p>« He is. Excuse me for a moment, » Juliet apologized before making her way back at the bottom of the stairs. « Thomas, honey! We’re waiting for you. »</p><p>His muffled voice traveled downstairs.</p><p>« I’m coming down. »</p><p>Higgins made her way back to Margot.</p><p>« What would you like to drink? We have tea, coffee, water... »</p><p>She didn’t have time to finish listing all the beverages she bought especially for this visit before the immigration agent answered.</p><p>« Coffee with milk would be great, thanks. »</p><p>Higgins went into the kitchen to prepare a tray with coffee and when she deposited it on the coffee table she heard Magnum run down the stairs loudly. She internally rolled her eyes, no need to show their guest how annoying she found her partner sometimes especially when he was acting like a five-year old.</p><p>« Sorry to have kept you waiting, » he apologized to both women. « I’m Thomas Magnum, » he introduced himself as he shook Margot’s hand with his trademark charming smile.</p><p>Higgins could tell the young immigration agent was instantly smitten with her husband as her fair skin reddened and her blue eyes dropped down to his lips. She couldn’t really blame her as she would be the first one to admit that Magnum’s lips were highly kissable, especially now that she had tested them personally. </p><p>He sat next to Juliet on the couch, close enough to let their legs touch, and she eyed him from head to toe. He truly cleaned up well with his still wet hair, his blue shirt with the mandarin collar rolled up his forearms - her favorite - and his beige Bermuda shorts. He also traded his flip-flops for brown sneakers. He caught her thorough perusal and couldn’t hide his smile as if he enjoyed her looking at him like that.</p><p>He leaned back and extended his arm on the back of the couch behind her before turning his attention to their guest who had been watching their interaction closely. </p><p>"Let's start, shall we?" she proposed. </p><p>Juliet leaned back against the couch and felt his arm wrap around her shoulder. She took a deep breath to calm herself, knowing his presence made her feel better. </p><p>"We'll begin with something easy. How did you guys meet?" </p><p>They looked at each other trying to decide who would answer and Juliet nodded before turning her attention to Margot. </p><p>"We met right here, on this estate. It was about 3 years ago. I was already working as the majordomo and lived in the main house. One day, Robin - the owner - called me to inform me that one of his friends was going to come live in the guest house for a while, and that person was Thomas."</p><p>Juliet stopped her tale there because if there was one thing she learned as a spy, it was that when you don't want people to catch you lying there were two guidelines to follow. </p><p>One: you stick to the truth as much as possible, and two, you don't give too many details because that was when you got caught. </p><p>The immigration agent looked at her then at Magnum before asking:</p><p>"Was it love at first sight?" </p><p>They both laughed loudly answering "No!" at the same time. </p><p>"We hated each other at first." Juliet added. </p><p>"<em>You</em> hated me!” He chuckled, “I was merely annoyed by your behavior," Magnum clarified. </p><p>She rolled her eyes. </p><p>"The point is, we didn't like each other back then." </p><p>"And what made you change your mind?" </p><p>Higgins' smile dropped slightly, not knowing exactly how to respond, but Magnum came to her rescue. </p><p>"We got to know each other better since we were almost living together. She helped me start my own PI business and later she even assisted me during cases. We became friends first but living so close together, working together, we started acting like one of those old couples, always bickering but taking care of each other at the same time. So much so that my last girlfriend broke up with me because Juliet and I were too close for her taste."</p><p>“You never told me that!” Higgins said as she looked at Magnum.</p><p>He shrugged his shoulders.</p><p>“She was right, there was something between us even when I was with Abby.”</p><p>Their eyes met and Juliet saw him bite the inside of his cheek in this cute little pout he does sometimes when he’s upset but doesn’t want her to see it. She thought about what he actually said but decided it was not the appropriate time to dwell on it. She addressed him with a bright smile and stroked his cheek gently with her hand.</p><p>“Well then, it’s a good thing we finally acted on it.”</p><p>He understood that she was back in their role and followed her lead.</p><p>“Well we didn’t really have a choice; the sexual tension would have consumed us otherwise,” he told her with a smirk.</p><p>She slapped his chest playfully as she felt a blush creep up her face.</p><p>“Thomas!”</p><p>They both turned towards Margot and Higgins was surprised to see the young woman observe them with a smirk adorning her lips. Juliet cleared her throat and resumed her position against Thomas.</p><p>« Can you tell me about the proposal? »</p><p>« I’ll be honest, we weren’t planning to get married so soon. We’ve only been dating for 10 months. But the visa issue kinda threw a wrench in our plans. »</p><p>Juliet willingly admitted that they got married quickly so Margot wouldn’t ask them the same question later.</p><p>« Speak for yourself, babe, » Magnum added with a cheeky grin. « The timing may have been a little rushed for the actual wedding, but I’ve wanted to propose for several months now. I’ve been carrying my mother’s ring in my pocket, waiting to gather enough courage to ask you the most important question of our lives. »</p><p>Juliet’s throat dried up. His mother’s ring?</p><p>Her eyes dropped to the jewel on her finger. Was it true? Or was it just a story he was making up for the immigration interview?</p><p>“To answer your question, we had been arguing after she told me about her possible deportation from the country. We were in the middle of an investigation and we were just getting back to the car. I just felt this ring burning in my pocket as I realized that if I didn’t ask her now, she would be gone in a week and what would happen to us and our relationship? I couldn’t let her go. So I proposed in front of the Hawaiian sunset and she said no.”</p><p>He was so at ease when he told that story that Juliet was quite impressed. Even Margot was drawn to his every word.</p><p>“She said no?” the young woman asked in a high-pitched voice.</p><p>“Of course I said no! I didn’t know if his proposal was a reaction to the news that I had just told him or if he really wanted to marry me!” Juliet exclaimed, not happy with being judged on her fictional choices, which was quite irrational.</p><p>“And yet, I had been carrying an engagement ring around. You only told me about your visa an hour before, so it showed you that I had thought about it,” he laughed while he planted a kiss on her hair.</p><p>She placed her hand on his knee, just below the fabric of his Bermuda shorts, enjoying his body heat slipping through her skin everywhere that she was in contact with him.</p><p>“I know that now. And need I remind you that I actually changed my mind and married you?”</p><p>He only answered her with a beaming smile.</p><p>They went over more simple questions like, “on which side of the bed are you sleeping”, or “what color are your spouse’s toothbrush” and stuff from their day-to-day life but when Margot asked each of them if the other had any marks on their body like a scar or tattoo, she could feel Magnum’s smirk without even seeing it.</p><p>Of course he had seen her tattoo yesterday during the bathroom incident. He smiled as he answered, like he could reminisce about her naked body in front of her, and Juliet tried not to bury her face in her hands in embarrassment.</p><p>She listed the scars on his torso from his time in the military by memory and also the tattoo on his bicep, hoping she didn’t get them wrong although she has seen him an insane amount of times shirtless therefore she was quite familiar with his chest.</p><p>Higgins could see that Magnum was enjoying himself which was why this fake marriage for a visa was a bad idea. They weren’t supposed to have fun. Fun was a distraction which would lead to letting their guard down and eventually they would make mistakes and be discovered.</p><p>She felt Thomas’ fingers run up and down her arm gently, as if he sensed her level of stress rising and tried to soothe her. She had to admit it was working as she sunk more deeply into his body.</p><p>“Are you planning on having children?” Margot asked them.</p><p>“Yes,” Magnum answered at the same time Higgins said “no”. Their heads turned towards each other as they understood what the other had said.</p><p>“We haven’t discussed it yet to be honest,” Juliet explained, flustered.</p><p>“It’s ok, it’s quite a personal question. I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable,” Margot apologized. “But I had to ask because it’s on my list.”</p><p>“Just put down that we’re thinking about it. That way it’s neither a yes or no,” Magnum told the young woman while he squeezed Juliet closer to him.</p><p>Juliet’s heart was only starting to get back to normal when the immigration agent asked her last question.</p><p>“Could you tell me the things you love most about each other?”</p><p>Magnum looked at her and she let him go first, having no idea of what she could answer.</p><p>“She’s crazy smart. She plays a mean game of chess and listens to classical music. She’s always thinking ahead, often saving me from my reckless side. She’s a great partner at work and she’s so very brave. We complement each other very well. She’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen and so flexible thanks to yoga,” he said as he watched her and wriggled his eyebrows. “She’s funny and very caring once she’s comfortable enough around you. You only have to be patient and dig a little to find the hidden gem."</p><p>Juliet was speechless. Ever since their wedding and his vows, she was discovering a whole new side of Magnum - the side with all the nice words and compliments about her - and she didn’t even know what to make of it. She didn’t have time to think too much about it because two pairs of eyes were on her, waiting for her to dazzle them as much as Magnum had. She swallowed and spoke about how she felt about Thomas.</p><p>“He’s the most genuine person I know. He’s always there for the people he cares about. It makes me strive to be a better friend and a better spouse. He makes the most delicious chocolate chip pancakes. He’s so funny and life is such an adventure when you’re living it with him. His smile is contagious and I can’t stay mad at him for too long. His eyes are always so expressive, I'd like to stare into them for hours.”</p><p>He looked at her and she was suddenly sucked into his warm eyes, just like she had explained.</p><p>Juliet heard Margot clear her throat and the moment was gone.</p><p>They ended the interview with a tour of the guest house to show Margot their living situation, meaning the one and only bedroom with all their belongings side by side.</p><p>When they walked Margot back to her car Higgins could finally let go of the breath she had been holding the whole time. She thought they had handled all the questions pretty well and Margot seemed like a nice person who wouldn’t write a bad statement for them.</p><p>« Thank you for having me today. I was really glad to get to know you both, » the young woman told them.</p><p>« It was our pleasure. » Magnum declared as he grabbed Juliet’s hand.</p><p>« You’ll be notified about the next step of the procedure in a few weeks, but I can tell you already that this interview went very well. »</p><p>Higgins smiled brightly, glad to finally put this test behind them.</p><p>They bid their goodbyes before making their way towards the Ferrari.</p><p>Tonight, Magnum was taking her out on a date. It was only to go eat shrimps at Kamekona’s, but they still had a cover to maintain. However, after the rollercoaster of emotions she went through during their interview, she didn’t know if she had enough strength to put up the “loving wife” facade.</p><p>She was silent on the way there, looking out to enjoy the scenery as Magnum drove a little faster than was authorized. She could tell her silence was making him uncomfortable; not being able to gauge the state of mind she was in.</p><p>« I think we did ok, don’t you? » He asked as a way to break the ice.</p><p>She turned her head to look at him.</p><p>« Yes, I think so too. Even if we didn’t work on all her questions beforehand we managed to improvise. You did well with the unplanned questions. »</p><p>« It was not very complicated. Either I was just being honest or I already knew what kind of answer she was expecting, » he explained as his eyes focused on the road again.</p><p>« Right, » she said softly.</p><p>His answer didn’t abate her confused state about whether he meant what he had said.</p><p>He parked the car and came to open her door before taking her hand to help her out of her seat. He didn’t relinquish his hold as they made their way towards Kamekona. </p><p>« Hey, how’s my favorite PI couple? » the Hawaiian man asked.</p><p>Juliet’s mouth stretched into a smile, glad to see their friend.</p><p>« We’re doing well, thanks. We’ve been craving your delicious shrimps though, » she answered </p><p>Kamekona smiled and nodded, showing that he was pleased with her words. Then he turned towards Magnum.</p><p>« So, how was the wedding? Cause I sure didn’t get an invitation even though I baked a cake for you. »</p><p>Higgins contained her smile when she saw Magnum squirm next to her.</p><p>« I’ll let you gentlemen settle this matter as I order because I’m famished. You want the usual? » She asked her husband.</p><p>« Yes, thanks babe. »</p><p>On an impulse she slid her palm behind his head and rose on her tiptoes to press her mouth to his, barely opening her lips to give him the slightest taste of her tongue flicking across his lovely lips before stepping back and leaving both men behind her.</p><p>She could feel Magnum’s eyes burning holes in her back and heard Kamekona’s words.</p><p>« Lucky bastard. »</p><p>When they were settled at a picnic table, sitting next to each other, she finally asked him what had been bothering her for hours.</p><p>« Is it really your mother’s ring? »</p><p>Magnum chewed his mouthful of food before swallowing as he turned towards her. He licked his lower lip as he suddenly grew serious.</p><p>« It is, » was all he answered before shoveling another forkful in his mouth.</p><p>« You won’t eat enough food to get off the hook you know? » She sighed, « Why didn’t you tell me? »</p><p>He put down his fork and turned his body to face her, straddling the wooden bench.</p><p>« I knew you would freak out and make a bigger deal out of it than it really is. »</p><p>« A bigger deal? Magnum it’s your mother’s ring! You’re supposed to give family heirlooms to people you’re planning to spend the rest of your life with, not to someone you’re going to be married to for like a year! » She told him in a hushed voice, worried someone would overhear them.</p><p>« I don’t see the issue here. We’re married right now and I knew this ring would look good on you. When we get a divorce, you’ll give it back to me. End of the story. »</p><p>« No it’s not. You’re prepared to give the exact same ring to another woman after me? »</p><p>She didn’t know why it bothered her so much but it did.</p><p>« Were you considering offering it to Hannah? » She asked despite her better judgement. She knew she had no right to hold him accountable for his past decisions.</p><p>He slid closer to her and ran his hand up and down her back.</p><p>« When I was with Hannah we were in the middle of Afghanistan so the engagement ring was probably the last of my worries, along with the fact that I wouldn’t find any jewelry stores in the vicinity of our camp. »</p><p>He took her left hand in his right and stroked the blue stone of her ring with his thumb.</p><p>« About the ring, I didn’t actually own it until I was released and came back to the US to take care of my mother’s belongings. So no, I never intended to give it to Hannah. »</p><p>All her breath left her when he reminded her of the conditions of his mother’s passing and how he had found out. She felt awful now, making him feel like she didn’t appreciate his gift.</p><p>« I’m so sorry Thomas. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. I love this ring and the fact that it’s a family jewel makes it even more special to me. I just didn’t want you to feel obligated. »</p><p>He brought his left hand to her hair, brushing it slightly aside before catching her eyes with his.</p><p>« I gave it to you because I wanted to, and also because my mom would have loved you. »</p><p>He threaded his fingers through hers as he watched her rings gleaming under the setting sun.</p><p>« I wish you could have met her. She was fierce and independent just like you. »</p><p>Juliet’s heart raced at his words.</p><p>« I wish I could have met her too. »</p><p>He cupped the back of her head before closing the distance between them for a soft kiss. Higgins went with it since they were in public but it didn’t feel like their previous kisses to show off. Instead, she felt his fingers tighten around her locks of hair and he suddenly opened his lips to slip his tongue into her mouth. She moaned slightly when tingles coursed through her whole body and butterflies swarmed in her belly.</p><p>He broke out of their embrace far too soon for her liking and she dug her teeth into her lower lip to keep herself from smiling too much.</p><p>“So, you want to have kids someday?” She whispered, not trusting her voice but willing to address the second topic that had been bothering her earlier.</p><p>He turned back towards his meal and speared a shrimp on his fork.</p><p>“Why, are you volunteering to have them?” he asked with a smirk.</p><p>“God, no!” she laughed, feeling glad that they were back to normal.</p><p>“Too bad, you would make a great mother,” he told her as if he was just giving her any other compliment.</p><p>And just like that they were back in the limbo between playing a married couple and actually acting like one, which was making Higgins dizzy. However, she felt compelled to explain her choice to him.</p><p>“When I was young, I always told myself I wouldn’t have kids. My family had never been what one could call warm, even according to British standards, and I suffered from this as a child. I couldn’t bear to bring a child into this world and watch him or her suffer from that too. But then came Richard,” she reminisced with a tender smile. “He was warm and gentle and he gave me hope. I could see us becoming a family with children running around. He would have been a great father.”</p><p>She paused to take a deep breath.</p><p>“I guess my desire to be a mother has died with him.”</p><p>She lifted her gaze to his and quickly diverted it; she didn’t want to see the slightest pity in his eyes.</p><p>“I can understand why you feel that way, but maybe it’s only because you haven’t met the right man; one who will give you the will to go past these old thoughts to create new ones.”</p><p>She blinked and felt her throat tighten.</p><p>Maybe she had already met him, and that was scaring the hell out of her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Magnum</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, I changed the ratings so it's now an explicit fanfic.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Magnum was still in between sleep and waking up. He just knew that, one moment he had felt warm and content, and the next he felt as if something important had been ripped away from him, leaving him cold and alone.</p><p>He frowned, trying to think about what it was but his brain was all scrambled until his senses kicked in, making him aware of his surroundings. </p><p>He could hear the shower running, which meant that his bed partner was up and about. The warmth he felt before must have been her body. For the last couple of mornings they had woken up really close to one another as if they had been attracted like magnets during the night. </p><p>The next thing he recognized was her scent. </p><p>He burrowed his nose into the pillow next to his, inhaling the smell that he had grown to love and hate equally; orange blossom. It was a lovely scent, he wouldn’t deny it but ever since Higgy had moved in with him, it has been everywhere: in the bathroom, on the sheets, in his closet, on his own clothes and even on him.</p><p>There was no escaping Juliet Higgins.</p><p>He could feel her heat still lingering on the bedding as he stretched his limbs lazily and rolled on his back. </p><p>A small smile stretched on his lips as he thought back to the last month since he started living with Juliet. After the interview with the immigration agent and their talk at Kamekona’s she had been considerably more relaxed. They learned how to put up with each other -  both with their boundaries and their small quirks - and while they were trying to spend a lot of time apart to keep their sanity, they also enjoyed meeting up at the end of the day to spend time together.</p><p>Magnum sighed happily, still reveling in the comfortable cocoon their bed provided as he absentmindedly listened to the running water but suddenly his eyes snapped open as he registered other sounds besides the running shower.</p><p>At first he thought he was imagining things but the more he concentrated on it the more he recognized moaning. His eyes widened; was she doing what he thought she was doing?</p><p>Never mind, he could feel his own body reacting to the thought of her touching herself in the shower in the next room. He saw the sheet rise slightly when his penis stirred from its morning semi-hard state. This was not good.</p><p>He needed to get out of here.</p><p>He threw the sheet away from his body and jumped to his feet, quickly changing into his favorite outfit for a kayak session. Choosing some loose shorts, he decided that some fresh air and exercise would do him good.</p><p>He practically ran towards the beach and hopped onto his boat before he pushed on his paddles to get as far away as possible in an attempt to erase the sounds of her moaning her release in the bathroom.</p><p>Obviously, it was not working.</p><p>He was plagued by lustful thoughts of Juliet’s naked body, water streaming down her skin. In his own scenario, he would be joining her and he would be the one making her moan. He groaned in frustration. He already had the visual in mind - thanks to the bathroom incident as he liked to call it - but now he also knew how she sounded, giving a whole new layer of realism to his fantasies. </p><p>He stopped rowing, out of breath, his arms burning from the exertion but as he looked down he could see that his erection was still in full effect. He closed his eyes and drew in a big breath through his nose, letting it out through his mouth.</p><p>He wasn’t going to survive being married to Higgins. He told his friends that he wouldn’t mind being celibate and it was not like he wanted to be with another woman but being this close to Juliet and not being able to satisfy his urges was getting harder; pun intended.</p><p>He looked around and saw that he was alone in the middle of the ocean; not a single soul to witness his current state.</p><p>Could he take advantage of this momentary solitude to remedy his situation?</p><p>It had been so long since he took care of an erection by himself, but he didn't know if he could go back to Robin's Nest in this aroused state. </p><p>His decision was made as he threw the paddle inside the boat and pushed his hips forwards, settling in a more comfortable position for what he was about to do. </p><p>He stretched his legs out to give himself as much room as possible and slid one hand underneath his shirt, grazing his stomach up to his pecs before flicking one nipple, then the other. Just because he was already aroused and by himself didn't mean he couldn't take his time and enjoy the journey towards his release. </p><p>He closed his eyes and let himself get carried away by his imagination. </p><p>In his mind, Higgins was the one running her fingers all over his torso. He was lying down on his bed in just a pair of boxers and she was sprawled all over him, clad in one of those lingerie sets he had accidently caught a glimpse of last month. She was wearing the red lacy one and just for fun, his imagination added an assorted garter belt and stockings. She was the definition of sexiness. </p><p>This visual inside his head brought the last remnant of blood downward where his penis, fully erect; twitched in the confines of his shorts, demanding to be touched. </p><p>He ignored his urges for now, only concentrating on the scenario in his mind since he knew that the more he delayed his gratification, the more intense it would feel. </p><p>Behind his closed lids he could see Fantasy Higgy slid her hands down his chest and his stomach before removing the last barrier of fabric he was wearing. Magnum lifted his hips to push down his shorts to his knees, keeping up with the imaginary versions of his wife and himself.</p><p>She then slid her hands down his muscular thighs, grazing his rigid shaft and his balls with her short nails. He hissed when he mimicked the move, as his hips rose slightly in an attempt to prolong the sensation.</p><p>He couldn't wait any longer and closed his fingers around his member, groaning loudly as Juliet sat up in his imagination to do the same, granting him an excellent view of her sexy outfit. </p><p>He started slow up and down movements, not wanting to finish too soon because he was becoming quite enamored with lingerie Higgy who was watching him with the most heated gaze he had ever seen. </p><p>Magnum tried to control his erratic breaths as his pants grew louder and his hand sped up against his will. </p><p>Juliet deposited a kiss on his thigh, making his heart beat wildly when he felt her breath on his sensitive erection on her way down. No, one fantasy at a time. He would have to think about Blowjob Higgy some other time or his head would implode. </p><p>His lower stomach clenched as he sensed his release getting nearer and nearer. He quickened his strokes, twisting his fist when it reached his sensitive head while cupping and stroking his balls gently with his other hand. He pressed the pad of his fingers against his perineum and after a few seconds he pushed his hips in time with his hand as much as he could while being on a boat. </p><p>He could hear Juliet's sultry voice, begging him to come for her and suddenly it was too much. His shaft and balls twitched before he relieved himself with a hoarse shout.</p><p>"Fuck, Higgy !" He groaned loudly as he came all over his t-shirt. </p><p>He opened his eyes, still out of breath from the force of his release and noticed the mess on his midsection. He sighed as he watched his semen seep through the fabric and stain his shirt. There was no way he could go back to the Nest like that. </p><p>He started to remove his shirt but, as he moved too quickly, the boat tipped over and he fell into the cool water. </p><p>"Fuck," he grumbled as he tried to climb back into the boat.</p><p>Well at least, his t-shirt was cleaner now…. </p><p>When he came back, he marched inside the guesthouse, dripping wet and holding his shirt in his hand. He was stopped by Higgins’ rising voice.</p><p>« Magnum! You’re leaving water everywhere! »</p><p>He turned around and advanced towards her until he was standing only a foot away from her, pointing his index finger at her.</p><p>« It’s all your damn fault! »</p><p>And with no further explanation, he turned around to flee upstairs, leaving a dumbstruck Higgy behind.</p><p> </p><p>XXXXX</p><p> </p><p>Since they didn’t have a case, Magnum chose to make himself scarce; he needed to clear his mind. He grabbed the Ferrari’s keys and started the revving engine before driving off. Leaving Robin’s Nest, Juliet, and the millions of questions and thoughts swarming inside his brain behind.</p><p>He sat on a bar stool at La Mariana and leaned on the counter with a sigh. Rick raised his head from wiping glasses and exchanged a look with TC who had been taking care of bills for the bar to help his professional partner.</p><p>The chopper pilot came closer and sat next to Magnum who was deep in concentration while inspecting his palm.</p><p>“You alright, TM?” He asked his friend.</p><p>“Did Higgy throw you out already?” Rick joked when they didn’t get an answer to their first question.</p><p>“Yeah, how’s married life? We haven’t seen you in a while.”</p><p>Magnum raised his head to watch his friends. He had known them for the past decade and they all had admitted more than their fair share of secrets and embarrassing moments. Maybe he could confess some of the hardships of living with Juliet to his best friends without mentioning what had happened on his boat earlier, because they would never let him live that down. He shrugged.</p><p>“You know, it has its ups and downs.”</p><p>He cleared his throat before sipping the beer that Rick just put down in front of him.</p><p>“I guess lately it has mostly been <em>up</em>.”</p><p>Seeing that neither of his friends understood his innuendo he gestured towards his crotch with his chin.</p><p>“Oh…” TC said, clearly more uncomfortable than Rick who sniggered at Magnum.</p><p>« What’s wrong, Tommy? Have you been having to take matters into your own hands instead of having your usual one night stands? »</p><p>Magnum rolled his eyes.</p><p>« At least we know Higgy’s been rubbing off on you with the eye roll. It looked just like hers! » TC chuckled to change the subject.</p><p>Rick laughed out loud.</p><p>« He wished Higgy would actually rub off on him, if you know what I mean. » </p><p>Magnum started to get up and leave.</p><p>« Thanks for the support, really. »</p><p>“Wait, Thomas!” TC called before throwing a dirty look at Rick. "We're here for you buddy. You can tell us anything and we won't judge." </p><p>The PI sat back on the stool and fidgeted with his hands, not knowing where to begin. </p><p>"Well, let's just say that I'm way more attracted to my wife than I should be," he explained, avoiding his friends' eyes. </p><p>"Hey, it's normal. Higgins is a very beautiful woman and you've been sharing a bed with her for the last month. You'd have to be a robot not to feel… what you're feeling right now," Rick told him as a peace offering after his crude jokes. </p><p>"Especially when you've been celibate for a long time," TC continued. "Let's just say you're not used to it." </p><p>They both chuckled but sobered up when they saw their friend still miserable. </p><p>"And tonight, we're supposed to go on a date because we haven't been out to maintain our cover in a few weeks," Magnum said in a slightly whiny voice. "How am I supposed to play the touchy feely husband when touching her brings me to a state I haven't been in since I was a hormonal teenager?" </p><p>"Look Tommy, you agreed on this marriage to help Higgy. You had to know it wouldn't be all nice and easy right? Especially with the two of you." </p><p>"Yeah but I thought the difficulties would be to actually get along and not scream at each other. But we get along surprisingly well and we almost never fight now. It's the physical attraction that I'm having trouble with. I was used to being in close contact with her before and I've never felt that strongly about her."</p><p>"You got what you wanted out of this marriage: Higgins is still here and she's still working with you. So what if sometimes you get a little horny? You take care of it and you move on. You have to think about the fact that the pros far outweigh the cons in this situation. "</p><p>"Or do you know if she feels the same as you do?" Rick added. "If she does, you could scratch that itch together." </p><p>"No, no way. She doesn't feel the same way," Magnum said adamantly. </p><p>But a tiny voice inside his head told him that she was masturbating in the shower for a reason and since she got up from the bed they were sharing to do it, maybe he had been the one to bring her to that state. </p><p>He shook his head, not willing to get his hopes up. It wasn't like he could ask her if she was attracted to him or if she wanted to have sex with him. </p><p>He wanted to keep his family jewels intact. </p><p> </p><p>XXXXX</p><p> </p><p>Magnum was sitting on the bed after tying his shoes when Higgins emerged from the bathroom. She looked so beautiful in her flowing navy blue dress that barely reached the top of her knees. Her hair was tied up in a sophisticated up-do and she was wearing beige stilettos that made her legs look a mile long. </p><p>He swallowed his saliva as she advanced towards him until she was standing between his spread legs before turning around, showing him she needed help with the zipper of her dress. </p><p>"Would you mind? I can't reach." </p><p>The back of her dress was even more stunning than the front since it was entirely made of lace. Thanks to her heels, he was now eye-level with her ass. He blinked a few times before wrapping his fingers around her hips and pushed her slightly forwards so she could take a step away from him. </p><p>He grabbed the tab of the zipper gently and almost groaned when he noticed the tiniest scrap of black lace peeking out at her lower back. </p><p>'Enough with the lace, today,' he thought. </p><p>He got up slowly as he pushed the zipper up her back at the same unhurried pace. Her back was completely bare which meant that she wasn't wearing a bra and truly, Magnum didn't know how he would survive the night. </p><p>When the dress was securely zipped, Magnum was standing behind Juliet and the fact that she was now the same height he was, thanks to her heels, wasn't lost on him. He eyed the tantalizing patch of fragrant skin behind her ear, for once unobstructed by her blond curls, and had the sudden urge to press his lips against it. </p><p>The spell was broken when she turned around to face him. </p><p>"You want help with that?" She asked with a soft smile, gesturing to his black tie hanging around his neck against his black shirt. </p><p>He nodded, not trusting his voice to stay neutral at this point, while she took a step towards him and grabbed the two ends of the silky fabric to work her magic. </p><p>He took advantage of the fact she was focused on her task to observe her. He had never noticed how many freckles were scattered across her nose before. It was true that they had enjoyed quite a few afternoons under the sun lately while they went to the private beach of Robin's Nest. Those little caramel dots were just adorable, not to mention her cute little nose and her soft pouty lips that were covered in light pink for the evening. </p><p>She was enchanting and Magnum had trouble reigning in the urge to pull her against him and kiss her. He'll make the most of it later when they will be in public though, they still had a cover to maintain after all. </p><p>He gulped as Juliet slid the knot of his tie up until it was tightly in place around his neck. She addressed him with the sweetest smile as if she could see where his mind had drifted just before.</p><p>They made their way downstairs and Higgins grabbed a key on the kitchen counter.</p><p>“Do you mind if I drive tonight?”</p><p>“I don’t, if we don’t take my Ferrari,” he stated evenly as he shrugged into his dark grey jacket.</p><p>“Your Ferrari?” she asked with her arms crossed on her chest.</p><p>Magnum knew he had made a mistake and looked at her with his puppy eyes and small pout, knowing she would forget his blunder if he appeared innocent enough. She rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Don’t think you look cute, Magnum. Come on, we’re going to be late,” she said as she grabbed another set of keys and her small beige purse that was assorted to her shoes.</p><p>He sighed and followed his wife to the Black Ferrari that was parked next to Robin’s other cars.</p><p>When they arrived at the restaurant and were being led to their table, Magnum wrapped his arm around Juliet's waist before whispering in her ear. </p><p>"You look gorgeous tonight." </p><p>"Thank you," she answered as they sat down. "You look rather dashing yourself." </p><p>They spent their meal talking and laughing like they would if it were a real date. Thomas grabbed his glass of wine for a sip before covering her left hand with his right. </p><p>She was enjoying her chocolate cake and both her and the dessert looked delicious. </p><p>“Is it good?” He asked her.</p><p>She nodded and hummed her positive answer since her mouth was full.</p><p>“You want a bite?” She asked him after swallowing her mouthful.</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>She cut a piece of her cake with her fork before offering it to him. He bent over the table to reach the chocolate dessert and, while his lips wrapped around the cutlery, his eyes never left hers.</p><p>He chewed slowly and swore he saw her cheeks blush lightly which pleased him immensely.</p><p>“Mmh, it is very good.”</p><p>She looked down to her plate and Magnum thought it would be best to change subjects.</p><p>« Your dress matches your ring, » he told her while he absent-mindedly ran the pad of his thumb across the sapphire on her fourth finger.</p><p>"Well it turns out it's my favorite color so I have a few items in my wardrobe in that color." </p><p>"It's my favorite color too; Detroit Tigers' blue. I don't think that it’s a coincidence that my father gave my mother this ring." </p><p>He smiled affectionately at her, glad to share information about his parents with her. </p><p>"Next time I'll make sure to wear a Tigers' cap for our date," she joked. </p><p>"Not all dates have to be fancy, you know. We could go to a game someday," he offered. </p><p>"I'd love to, Thomas. I've never been to a baseball game, maybe you could teach me the rules of baseball." </p><p>Magnum's cheeks almost hurt from the huge smile adorning his face. He couldn't wait to take her to a game and explain everything to her just like his father did with him when he was a little boy. </p><p>"We’ll do that, then. Are you ready to go home?" he asked her. </p><p>She nodded and he gestured for the check. </p><p>They were standing outside while the valet was bringing their car back and Thomas caught a glimpse of her shivering. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. </p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>"I had a great evening, Love." he told her as he leaned closer to her. </p><p>"Me too, Thomas."</p><p>He finally stopped fighting his desire to kiss her as he pulled her to him by the lapels of his jacket. They kissed in front of other patrons and valets, acting like the perfectly enamored spouses they were supposed to be. When he slipped his tongue in her mouth he tasted the chocolate cake she had for dessert and red wine. He had no idea how long they were standing there, embraced for all to witness, until someone cleared their throat next to them. </p><p>They broke apart suddenly, out of breath and Magnum smirked at the valet handing him the Ferrari's key. He turned back to Higgy. </p><p>"Shall we, Mrs Magnum?" </p><p>"Wait a second," she told him. </p><p>She brushed the pad of her thumb across his lips to remove the smeared lipstick their kiss left on him.</p><p>"You could have left it. I'm sure the color looked terrific on me."</p><p>She laughed and he noticed she didn't correct him when he called her Mrs. Magnum. </p><p>He opened the passenger door for her and she huddled more comfortably in his jacket while he walked around the car towards the driver's seat. </p><p>When they got home, Juliet went upstairs to get changed so Thomas left her a bit of privacy. He joined her after a while and went straight to the walk-in closet to remove his clothes. He saw his jacket hanging in its usual place where Higgy must have put it back and he brought his nose to the collar, smelling her orange blossom scent. He didn’t mind it so much tonight; he even enjoyed the way their scents both mingled on the fabric.</p><p>He stripped down to his boxers and joined her in the bathroom since she left the door ajar. After the bathroom incident, they had set some ground rules: if the door was closed it wasn't okay to come in, but if it was left ajar, the coast was clear. </p><p>She was standing in front of the mirror in just a pink tank top and black sleep shorts that were barely grazing the bottom of her butt cheeks as she removed her make-up. He settled at the sink next to her and started brushing his teeth. </p><p>He loved how domestic their interactions had become in the short month since they started living together, like brushing their teeth next to each other or doing the laundry. There might be some tension sometimes, sexual or otherwise but he thought they were getting more comfortable around each other. His friends had been right, he was glad she was still by his side, working with him and sharing his life. So what was a little frustration here and there when he could have lost his best friend?</p><p>He rinsed his mouth before placing his toothbrush in its place next to hers. </p><p>He turned towards her and wrapped one arm around her waist before pressing his lips to her cheek. </p><p>"Goodnight, Love," he whispered against her skin before stepping back and leaving the bathroom to let her finish. </p><p>It wasn't until he was lying in bed in the dark that he realized what he had just done.</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Higgins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Higgins was feeling both guilty and content at the same time. </p><p>She had woken up a few minutes earlier sprawled on top of Magnum, their legs tangled and her head nestled on his shoulder. His arm was wrapped around her waist as he slept peacefully. </p><p>She felt so warm, safe and at ease that she didn't find the will to move away from his body, but she was taking advantage of a situation he wasn't even aware of as she listened to his light snores. She smiled in spite of herself; how could he be so cute while snoring? </p><p>It was the fourth time in a row that they had woken up cuddled against each other, and Juliet didn’t really know what to think of it.<em> Obviously, it fe</em><em>els really nice,</em> she thought as she buried her nose more deeply into his neck and breathed in his delicious scent. Yesterday she had woken up with him spooning her, and when her brain registered that her buttocks was pressed against his morning erection, she froze; not knowing how to react.</p><p>Her body had screamed at her to push back against what appeared to be a pretty sizable member until he woke up and sank inside of her yearning folds, but her brain quickly hit the brakes on those disturbing thoughts. She had found no other way out of that situation than to flee to the bathroom before he could comprehend their position. Once she had entered the shower, she felt the urge to relieve herself of the acute tension in her lower belly.</p><p>She had been glad that he was already gone when she came out of the bathroom because she didn’t know how she would have faced him after she came thinking about him spooning her as he leisurely slid in and out of her.</p><p>This physical attraction she felt towards him was quite unsettling for her. She had never thought of herself as a sexual person before. Sure, she liked sex as much as the next person, but she didn't mind not having it either; and she was definitely not the kind of woman to have sex with a one-night stand out of pure physical need. When it came to sexual desire, she had to have some feelings before actually wanting the other person. </p><p>This lust she felt towards her husband was new to her and she didn't know what to do with it. It felt like her body was taking precedence over her mind and she didn't like the feeling of not being in control of herself. She just knew that she welcomed any form of physical contact with him like a woman dying of thirst would welcome her first sip of water. The kiss they had shared at the end of their date the night before was still lingering on her lips, and she wanted more; so much more with him. </p><p>She noticed she had unwillingly started stroking the scar on his side from his time at the POW camp. Emboldened by her previous thoughts and driven by the desire to discover more of his naked chest, Juliet trailed her lithe fingers up his torso before drawing invisible lines around his shoulder and following down the line of his bicep. She was mesmerized by how silky his skin felt underneath her fingertips.</p><p>She stopped the mapping of his upper body when she registered the silence around them; he had stopped snoring. His legs stretched slightly and Higgins knew he was waking up. It was too late to move away from him without him noticing, so she settled back against him and relaxed, pretending to still be asleep. </p><p>Without seeing him, she could tell the exact moment he noticed her body halfway on top of his as he tensed slightly before relaxing again. His arm around her waist tightened to bring her even closer as he placed a kiss on her hair before he placed his cheek against the top of her head. </p><p>After that, nothing happened and she thought he had gone back to sleep so she resumed her exploration, grazing his shoulder down to his chest where she outlined the underside of his defined pec with the pad of her fingers. However, she discovered he was very much awake when she felt his heartbeat race under her ear and heard his breath hitch.</p><p>She froze, worried that she had been caught touching him inappropriately while he had been sleeping, and was about to remove her hand when his own fingers started travelling from her waist up her back and above her tank top before going back down the same path and slipping underneath the fabric.</p><p>It took every ounce of willpower not to arch into his body when he touched her naked skin, but she couldn’t stop her breathing from quickening. He dared to stroke her sensitive skin along her spine and goosebumps rose on the entirety of her body.</p><p><em>‘Fuck’</em>, she thought. What good did it do to make herself come in the shower the day before if she was already turned on and desperate for his touch 24 hours later?</p><p>It was like her brain had been overtaken when her hand squeezed his pec before coming up around his neck as she ground her pelvis against his hip bone, making her tingling center rub against his muscular thigh. They both moaned simultaneously as her own thigh suddenly came in contact with his erection.</p><p>Higgins tried to reason that as long as their eyes never met, this little groping session would stay in the land of dreams and not become something real. He must have been thinking the same way because he never tried to initiate eye contact either. Instead, his other hand came to join the fun as it grazed her knee near his hip bone and traveled up her thigh until his fingers sneaked under her tiny sleep shorts to grip her ass and push her center even harder against his leg.</p><p>She gasped but the sound was muffled by his neck as she dug her short nails into the skin of his shoulder, making him hiss in return. She pressed her lips to his pulse point, feeling the rapid heartbeat beneath her lips as the slow grind of her hips made her fully aware of how slick her panties were. </p><p>Their pants filled the silence of the room and Juliet knew she couldn’t take it anymore; she wanted him and she wanted him right now.</p><p>She lifted her head and met his surprised but aroused gaze. They must have stared at each other for maybe ten seconds before she began to close the distance between their mouths. However, before their lips had the chance to meet, Magnum’s phone started to ring, making them jerk apart as if they had been burnt. </p><p>Magnum croaked out an apology before turning to his phone and she felt a heat wave engulf her whole body, but not in a good way. She needed to get out of there. </p><p>She rushed downstairs and went out in the garden where the lads ran to greet her. Her butt fell on the ground as they licked her face mercilessly and drew a laugh out of her while she actually felt so distraught. </p><p>What was wrong with her? </p><p>Things were going so well between her and Magnum. Why did she have to complicate things with sex? She hated feeling that way, like she was weak or something for not being able to control her urges.</p><p>From now on, she needed to keep her distance with him, not that it was going to be easy while working and living with him. </p><p>He found her sitting in the same place 20 minutes later. He had showered and was already dressed. </p><p>"That call was about a new case. I'll let you get ready and we'll meet at the car, okay?" he told her, unable to meet her eyes. </p><p>She really couldn't wait to work under these circumstances…. </p><p>They rode all the way to their new client in tense silence, neither one daring to be the first to break the ice that had settled between them. </p><p>Their client was a mother who was hiring them to look for her young adult son who she thought had gotten dragged into a criminal life by some ill-intentioned acquaintances. She had lost contact with him for the last two years and now that she was terminally ill, her last wish was to see her son before she died. </p><p>In the face of so much sorrow, they temporarily forgot about their own problems and teamed up to look for twenty-year-old Sean. </p><p>Higgy managed to find Sean’s trail after his short prison sentence that was due to illegal possession of several firearms. During his lock-up, he met a rather notorious criminal who hired him to commit some burglaries but  Sean was never arrested due to lack of evidence in those cases. </p><p>They managed to track his phone to a warehouse outside the city and Juliet wanted to call Katsumoto, not particularly at ease with showing up unannounced at the warehouse with Magnum. </p><p>However, her husband felt confident about the fact that since they weren't cops they wouldn't be in danger. She followed him with a bad feeling settling in her gut, but she was unwilling to initiate another disagreement that would erase the progress they had made to actually talk for the first time since this morning. </p><p>By the time they arrived at the warehouse, it was already dusk and the sun was setting behind the skyscrapers that rose a few miles away from them. Higgins observed the seemingly empty warehouse but knew better than to believe that quiet meant safety. </p><p>"Magnum, I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe we should call Gordon." </p><p>"What? No, we're already here, Higgy. I'm not waiting for Gordy," he answered as he loaded his gun before sliding it into his waistband behind his back. "Don't worry, we're just here to talk to him." </p><p>She sighed and grabbed her own weapon. Before they entered the warehouse, she sent Katsumoto a pin of their exact location with one word: help. </p><p>During their sweep of the place they split up with the usual plan to each go one way before meeting back in the middle. Not even five minutes after they each went their own ways, Juliet heard the most deafening sound; three bullet shots echoing across the metallic structure of the building before two more rounds shot off from a different weapon. </p><p>Her heart dropped down to her stomach and her legs almost went under her at the thought of Magnum being hit. She already saw him, lying down and covered in his own blood as he fought for his life. </p><p>She forgot all about her training and ran as fast as she could towards the source of the shooting. She was preparing herself for what she would see once she arrived at the scene but when she finally caught a glimpse of his red Hawaiian shirt, it wasn't actually on the ground floor. No, Magnum was up and about, all proud of himself for neutralizing two thugs with a bullet in each of their right arms. </p><p>He smiled at her, oblivious to her inner turmoil, as they both heard the police sirens approaching. </p><p>"I can't believe you called Katsumoto!" He whined. </p><p>Higgins was flabbergasted. She was indeed relieved that he was okay, but now she wanted to kill him with her bare hands. He was totally missing the point about not being reckless and how scared she had been of losing him.</p><p>Katsumoto scolded them; mostly Magnum, for not waiting for HPD before entering the warehouse. Meanwhile, Sean and his friend were getting medical assistance before going back to prison for drug trafficking. </p><p>At least his mother would know where to find him to say her goodbyes. </p><p>As they climbed back into the Ferrari to go home, Higgins felt so down for this mother who would last see her son in prison and for herself for feeling like her heart had been ripped out at the thought of Magnum dying. </p><p>She managed to stay quiet all the way home, however Magnum could tell something was up since she was as silent as she was.</p><p>When they arrived at the guesthouse, her eyes landed on the couch and she went ballistic.</p><p>“Magnum! You have to be kidding me! How many times have I told you not to leave crumbs on the couch?”</p><p>She turned towards him and he had the audacity to look sheepish which angered her even more after what happened tonight.</p><p>“Sorry?” He offered like a little boy being chastised by his mother.</p><p>“Don’t tell me you’re sorry! I don’t want your apology; I want you to fucking fix it!” She shouted as she went to the kitchen to drink a glass of water.</p><p>He knew she was mad as hell, yet he decided to push her buttons even more.</p><p>“It’s just a few crumbs, no need to yell like that.”</p><p>She came back to the living room in a few strides and invaded his personal space before poking him in the chest with her index finger.</p><p>“It’s not just that! It’s the baseball games in front of the TV where you yell at the players like a maniac, it’s the toilet seat that remains up no matter how many times I tell you to put it down, it’s all the clothes scattered on the bedroom floor,” She recited in a rising voice. “It’s basically you doing whatever you want without thinking about the repercussions your actions can have on someone else!”</p><p>His smirk disappeared as he sensed this fight was about more than just a domestic disagreement, but Higgins not wanting him to know why she was really mad at him. She needed to push him away once and for all.</p><p>“I hate you Magnum and I hate being married to you!”</p><p>She didn’t even have time to turn her heels and disappear before two strong arms wrapped around her, trapping her upper arms against her torso as he pulled her to his chest. She stiffened at the contact.</p><p>“Let me go, Thomas,” she stated evenly, trying to keep her emotions at bay.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Higgy,” he whispered against her temple.</p><p>“You don’t even know what you’re sorry for,” she huffed as she accepted her fate and stopped fighting his embrace.</p><p>“I’m sorry for scaring you. You’re right, I acted without thinking about how it would affect you.”</p><p>Suddenly, the tears that she had been fighting against since the beginning of the night eventually won out and she cried into his chest. He kept one arm around her shoulder to hold her against him and threaded the fingers of his other hand through her curls at the back of her head to soothe her. She buried her face into his neck and sobbed, finally letting go of all the anguish she felt at the thought of losing him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and fisted the fabric of his shirt at his back, trying to find solace in his warmth.</p><p>He swayed them gently as he whispered reassuring words against her hair and she finally calmed down, relieved to feel his heart beat against her chest – the proof he was alive and well.</p><p>He pushed her slightly away so he could see her face. He cupped her cheeks and brushed the pad of his thumbs across them to wipe away the tears streaming down her face.</p><p>“Please don’t cry, Love. I promised to make you smile every day and I don’t want to be a liar, not when it comes to you.”</p><p>Her throat tightened at the memory of the beautiful vows he had pronounced at their wedding. She dropped her gaze to his chest, unwilling to see the emotions reflected in his eyes or else she would start crying again.</p><p>What were they doing? They were fake husband and wife, partners, and friends, but why did she feel such strong emotions around him? No one could rile her up like he did, yet no one could calm her down like he could either. Not to mention what had almost happened this morning and the fact that terms of endearment were apparently not only reserved for when they were in public.</p><p>“Tell you what, I’ll start making dinner, why don’t you go upstairs and take a bath? If you want to talk things through, we can do it when you’re more relaxed,” he offered and the thought of a hot bubble bath sounded heavenly.</p><p>The talking part was less appealing though.</p><p>One step at a time, right?</p><p>She nodded before disentangling herself from his embrace. She shivered as she felt the loss of his body around her, hoping the bath would warm her as much as his body heat had even though she already knew it wouldn’t.</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Magnum</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone,</p><p>This will be my last post of 2020 because I won't be able to post a chapter next week.</p><p>I wanted to wish you all Happy Holidays and please take care of yourselves and your loved ones.</p><p>See you all in 2021 :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Magnum was starting to worry about Juliet. She had gone upstairs to take a bath almost an hour ago and she still hadn't come back down. Dinner had been ready for 30 minutes, but he didn't want to eat without her. </p><p>Besides, she had been so upset earlier that he had a bad feeling about her being alone in the bathroom. He went upstairs and knocked softly on the bathroom door. </p><p>He waited for an answer, but it never came. He knocked harder, calling her name but still, he got nothing but silence. </p><p>Finally, he decided to go inside, worried about her after their fight and the fact that she had been crying. </p><p>What he saw in front of him twisted his heart. She had fallen asleep in the bath, her head lolled to the side against the white porcelain of the tub. </p><p>Almost all of the bubbles had dissolved and he diverted his eyes from her naked body, concentrating instead on the slack features of her face that was relaxed in slumber. </p><p>He kneeled next to the tub and brushed away a few curls that had escaped the tiny bun she tied behind her head. He could still see the wet tracks her tears had left behind on her cheeks and his heart broke at the thought that he was responsible for her emotional turmoil. </p><p>She couldn’t stay in the tub or she would catch a cold. He dipped his fingers into the water and it was cold indeed. He needed to wake her up but was slightly scared about how she would react when she found him bending over her while she was naked in the tub.</p><p>His personal preoccupations were not important as her wellbeing, so he went to retrieve his bathrobe, which was far more convenient for her to slip on than just a towel, and kneeled next to the tub again.</p><p>« Wake up, Baby, » he spoke softly as he stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. </p><p>He watched as her eyelids fluttered as if they weighed a ton. He smiled affectionately so as not to frighten her. </p><p>"Let's get you to bed, shall we?" </p><p>She nodded as her eyes closed again. </p><p>"You're gonna have to help me here, Love," he chuckled. </p><p>She took a deep breath as she gathered all the courage needed to stand up, and with the help of Magnum, she stepped on the rug next to the tub. She wrapped her arms around her chest, maybe in modesty or to keep the last of her warmth, before he placed his hands at her hips to turn her around until she had her back to him. </p><p>Her eyes were still closed and she swayed slightly on her feet so Magnum put his bathrobe on her shoulders quickly. </p><p>"You can slip your arms in the sleeves." he told her and she obeyed him. </p><p>She leaned back limply against him as he circled her waist to tie the knot of his bathrobe on her belly. He brushed a kiss on the side of her neck before bending his knees and wrapping his arms around her back and knees so he could carry her to bed. </p><p>She buried her cold nose into his neck while he closed the distance between the bathroom and their bed before he deposited her gently on the soft mattress. He covered her with the sheet so she would warm up and stay cozy before pressing his lips gently on her cheek. She had already fallen back asleep as he heard her deep breaths. </p><p>He didn't want to leave her yet, which was quite irrational since she was out cold, but he sat in one of the armchairs at the foot of the bed and watched her sleep under the small glow casted by the bedside table lamp. </p><p>She looked so peaceful now, a far cry from the anguished state she was in not a couple of hours ago. </p><p>So much happened today; he didn't even know where to begin. </p><p>Maybe he could start with how the day began, with Juliet almost fully on top of him and trailing her fingers all over his chest. He could really get used to waking up that way. It felt so good to touch her and be touched by her without the pretense of their cover.</p><p>If his phone hadn’t rung they probably would have gone all the way. She seemed so responsive to his touch and judging by the sounds she made, she must have wanted him too, right?</p><p>He knew he wanted her, but that wasn’t new to him.</p><p>However, what had happened today created a whole new array of feelings inside of him; something deep that tugged at his heart as he laid his eyes on her, something he had only felt once before.</p><p>She said she hated him. </p><p>How could she hate him when he loved her so much?</p><p>Even though he knew she had said it because she needed to push him away after what she went through all day, it still hurt. He hoped he would never hear those words coming out of her ever again.</p><p>He now knew how scared she must have been when she heard those gunshots. He would have felt the same if the roles had been reversed. He acted like a jackass, not taking her worries into account before they went into that warehouse. They were partners. They were supposed to have each other's backs just like she had his when she went inside in spite of her hesitation.</p><p>He had a lot of amends to do to make up for his behavior at the warehouse and hoped he managed to make her feel better when they came home.</p><p>He couldn’t hold his smile back as he watched her; she was so beautiful with her delicate features. He knew he couldn’t do it because she needed the rest, but he wanted to wake her up so she could talk to him with her sexy accent, especially in that gravelly voice she had when she was still half asleep.</p><p>All of his senses craved her: he longed to lie next to her and look at her, smell her scent, hear her soft breaths, feel her warmth seep into his skin, and taste her sweet skin.</p><p>He wanted her in every way, as his lover, his best friend, and his wife. But how do you tell your wife you’re in love with her?</p><p>He knew she wasn’t feeling the same way as he did so he would give her space and not hover, hoping someday she might. He got up from his seat, went to the nightstand and turned off the light before going downstairs.</p><p>When he woke up the next day, he was lying on the couch and Juliet was stroking his arm gently.</p><p>« Hey, » she greeted him softly. « Why did you sleep here? »</p><p>He sat up and she handed him a steaming cup of fragrant coffee.</p><p>« Thanks, » he said as he wrapped his fingers around the hot mug. « I didn’t know if you wanted me to sleep next to you after what happened last night. » </p><p>She sighed as she sat next to him, so close that their legs were touching, and he noticed she was still wearing his bathrobe, meaning she was probably not wearing anything underneath. He gulped a sip of strong coffee, trying to find anything to distract him from that thought.</p><p>« It’s still your bed, Magnum. You’re allowed to sleep in it. »</p><p>« I also needed some time and space to think about some things. »</p><p>« Like what? » She asked him.</p><p>"I'm sorry for going inside that warehouse without taking your reservations into account. I didn't mean to scare you." </p><p>"I know you didn't. I just have to accept the fact that we're doing a dangerous job and it will always be risky." </p><p>"I promise you I'll be more careful and less reckless from now on." </p><p>They sipped their beverages in silence until she leaned her head on his shoulder. </p><p>"Thanks for last night." </p><p>He pressed a kiss against her hair. </p><p>« Anytime, Love. »</p><p>They kept staring in front of them while drinking their coffee, not really sure how to go on from there. </p><p> </p><p>XXXXX</p><p> </p><p>Thomas sipped his beer straight from the bottle before putting it back on the table when his eyes zeroed in on Juliet, who was all the way across the bar ordering her cocktail. They were spending the evening at La Mariana with their friends since they hadn’t seen them in a while.</p><p>It was as if she sensed his gaze on her because she lifted her head and met his eyes. A smile stretched his lips on their own accord and she responded with an affectionate one of her own. His heart beat wildly in his chest and he took a few seconds to let his gaze travel down her body and to the gorgeous dress wrapped around it. It was light pink and if someone asked him about his favorite color, he never wanted to hear about Tiger Blue again; not when this tight, shimmery fabric was enhancing her curves so well.</p><p>A month had gone by since their morning groping session and the fight about him being reckless; a month since he discovered his true feeling for the amazing woman that was his wife.  Things were still quite awkward between them and he could tell she was holding herself back, always shying away from him unless they were in public. That didn’t stop them from waking up tangled up in each other every morning; they just didn’t have a repeat of that wonderful morning that he kept thinking about. The bartender caught her attention with her drink which broke their eye connection when she retrieved it.</p><p>He turned towards TC and Jin on his right when the sound of their conversation finally registered to his ears. They both gave him a knowing look when he tried to participate but had no idea what they were talking about.</p><p>Maybe he hadn’t been that subtle about staring at Higgins.</p><p>“What?” He asked them.</p><p>“You don’t get your fill of Higgins at home? That’s disgusting to throw your lusty looks at the bar for everyone to see, you know,” Jin huffed.</p><p>Thomas chuckled.</p><p>“Are you jealous, Jin? What happened to the last supermodel?” </p><p>“She had a photoshoot on the mainland,” he mumbled before taking a sip of his beer.</p><p>Magnum played along since it suited him just fine that Jin believed in his and Higgins’ marriage. The less people who knew, the better. Even though the Asian man had known about the whole marriage for a visa plan since the beginning, that didn’t mean he had to know everything was fake.</p><p>“Oh, that’s too bad. Maybe she’ll be back soon.”</p><p>His gaze went back to the bar to see where Juliet was since she still hadn’t come back to their table. What caught his eye made him do a double take; the bartender was leaning on the bar so much that Magnum thought he would climb over it in order to talk to his wife.</p><p>She was smiling politely while she answered the man but her body language showed him that she wasn’t really on board with the flirting that the bartender was clearly engaged in.</p><p>Thomas turned back to his friends, knowing Juliet would never flirt back with that sleazy bartender. He was met with TC’s understanding look and Jin’s smirk.</p><p>“What?” He asked for the second time of the night.</p><p>“Nothing, I guess I’m not the only one who’s jealous after all,” Jin teased him.</p><p>Thomas scoffed.</p><p>“I’m not jealous! Nothing’s going on over there. They’re just talking.”</p><p>“Yeah, right. It always starts like that you know, just a ‘talk’,” Jin said, air-quoting the word “talk”.</p><p>“Don’t start projecting your own issues on my marriage please,” he told Jin, but he couldn’t stop himself from throwing another look towards the bar where the situation was essentially the same as before.</p><p>Jin must have sensed the slightest doubt settling in his brain because he slid next to Magnum and started throwing oil on the warm embers that were beginning to heat up his temper.</p><p>“Well, Higgins is a very independent woman. You know that as soon as her visa issue is resolved, you’ll be kicked to the curb.”</p><p>Jin’s sickly sweet voice in his ear made Magnum’s blood boil, probably because it was hitting right at home and addressing his deepest fear: Juliet not needing him anymore and finding another man that she could fall in love with.</p><p>« Oh, you thought that whatever has been happening between you two in that guesthouse was going to turn into a real marriage? That’s real cute, Magnum, » Jin laughed.</p><p> “Don’t listen to him, TM. You know he’s just trying to get a rise out of you.” </p><p>TC tried to reassure him but it wasn’t working, he was already thinking about the worst-case scenarios.</p><p>“Maybe she’s already on the look-out,” Jin continued.</p><p>Thomas knew Higgins wasn’t doing anything wrong right now but something in her behavior towards him suddenly clicked with Jin’s words which worried him even more. Ever since they made a step closer to maybe become more, physically and emotionally, she had been slowly pulling away from him. He felt like she was the sand he was desperately trying to keep inside his closed fist and was helpless as he watched grains of sands escape between his fingers. One day, he would wake up and his hand would be empty while she went to live a life without him.</p><p>He felt so foolish, believing she might fall in love with him if he gave her enough space and time. How could he be enough for her? She was so smart and sophisticated while he was a man-child who couldn’t take anything seriously.</p><p>The hurt inside in his chest morphed into anger.</p><p>How dare she mock the feelings he had for her? After everything that had transpired between them a month ago, all the touching, yelling, and the hugging. He wasn’t immune to all of it.</p><p>He was acting like a good soldier for her. He hadn’t flirted with a single woman, trying to keep up the charade of this prank marriage and here she was, flaunting her pick up methods in front of him. It was taking quite a toll on him, this forced celibacy. He hadn't jerked off this much since he had been a teenager.</p><p>He wanted to go stand between them and make her finally notice him, make her see he was right there, waiting for her to open her eyes.</p><p>His jittery legs kept bouncing up and down under the table, as if they had a mind of their own and couldn’t stand to stay still as they wanted to rush towards her.</p><p>"Don't do it, Thomas," TC warned him but he was too deep inside his head and his own false ideas to hear him.</p><p>He couldn’t take it anymore and rose quickly to march towards her and lover boy up at the bar. He had no idea what he was going to do once he got up there, but he sure couldn’t let this scene go on. He needed to prevent the sand from leaving his fist completely because he couldn’t live without it anymore. She noticed Magnum approaching and turned to him with a smile, but it soon vanished when she saw his determined expression.</p><p>He didn’t think, he just acted.</p><p>He grabbed the back of her head and wrapped his other arm around her waist to prevent her from leaving before he pressed his mouth firmly against hers. She gasped in surprise at the force he used to kiss her, and he took advantage of that to slip his tongue into her mouth. He still wasn’t sure if he would get slapped for what he was doing, no need to add that to the charges against him.</p><p>He dreaded that moment in his head, but he finally let her go and when their eyes met he knew he was in big trouble. She apologized quickly to the bartender for their hurried departure, grabbed his hand, and dragged him all the way across the room towards the exit leading to the patio.</p><p>On their way, they walked by their table and Thomas saw TC shake his head in dismay and Jin smirk while sliding his index finger across his throat to show him he was a dead man. A wave of anger traveled his whole body, anger he felt at Higgins for treating him like a child on the verge of being scolded, at that imp for leading him on, and at himself for listening to his bullshit. He didn’t resist the urge to lift his middle finger at the Asian man, showing him all the resentment he felt towards him.</p><p>As soon as they stepped outside, Juliet released his hand and turned to him, fuming.</p><p>“What the hell is wrong with you?”</p><p>“What? We’re not supposed to pack up on the PDA in public?” He asked in a smug tone, unsure about that tactic when she seemed this pissed off.</p><p>“We certainly never mentioned anything about forced PDA, Magnum! You’re lucky I didn’t slap you right there!”</p><p>He sighed and deflated because she was right; he had forced himself on her and the thought made his stomach clench uncomfortably. His hurt feelings weren’t an excuse to disregard her consent and kiss her against her will.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Higgy. I guess I let Jin get into my head and it made me act like a caveman.”</p><p>“I thought you knew better than to listen to Jin, but it doesn’t change the fact that just because I’m wearing this…” She lifted her hand to show him her rings, “ That doesn’t mean that I belong to you. You have no claim over me.”</p><p>She seemed a bit less angry but he could tell she was still annoyed. Her words certainly didn’t assuage his earlier doubts about her willingness to divorce him as soon as she could.</p><p>“I apologize again. Will you forgive me?” He asked anyways.</p><p>He knew she held all the power here and it was difficult for him to accept it but he guessed his love for her had made him weak.</p><p>She took a deep breath.</p><p>“I’m going home for the night. Give me an hour to cool down before you come home, and maybe we can talk in the morning.”</p><p>He nodded. It would also allow him to get over this wave of anger before they talked about tonight’s events.</p><p>“Can you give me the keys please? I’m sure one of your buddies can drive you home later.”</p><p>He slid his hand in his pants pocket and fished out the Ferrari’s key before handing them to her. </p><p>“I’ll probably be asleep when you come home, so I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”</p><p>And with that she was gone.</p><p>He went back inside to throw a punch to Jin’s face, but unfortunately TC prevented him from doing so. </p><p>When he got home, he quietly took off his clothes in the walk-in closet before stepping into the bedroom. He could see her sleeping form in their bed and he slid onto the mattress next to her, careful not to wake her up.</p><p>She turned on her side to face him and he discovered she wasn’t asleep.</p><p>“Sorry if I woke you up,” he whispered.</p><p>“I wasn’t sleeping,” she told him in the same soft tone.</p><p>“Do you want to talk now?” He asked her as he rolled on his side too so they could face each other.</p><p>He hoped the darkness around them would help them be honest with each other without fearing judgement from the other.</p><p>“We might as well,” she sighed. “We wouldn’t want our resentment to grow bigger than it is, would we?”</p><p>“I guess not.”</p><p>“I’m not mad at what you did, Magnum. Not really at least, so you can let go of the kicked puppy expression.”</p><p>“Well, you may not blame me, but I blame myself. I was way out of line. I swear I’ve never reacted that way before. It was like my brain stopped functioning and I acted on pure impulse when I saw you flirting with that guy. I just saw red.”</p><p>“I was not flirting with him! I was just being polite and making conversation. I didn't know you were the jealous type.”</p><p>“I’m not, usually. But the thought of you getting close to another man while I can’t say anything about it is bothering me,” he admitted.</p><p>“I'm not getting close to anybody Magnum.”</p><p>“That, I’m aware of,” he said bitterly.</p><p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked indignantly.</p><p>He sat up in bed, feeling like they were getting in the midst of their most important unspoken issue. He was tired of being the one with all the feelings towards her while she always kept him at an arm's length. If she didn't feel anything towards him he would rather know now than hope for her to reciprocate his love in vain. He might feel bad about what he did at the bar, but that didn’t mean his feelings were invalid.</p><p>« You know what I mean, Juliet. We can put our heads in the sand all we want but we’ve actually grown a lot closer lately and we can continue to get even closer if you stopped fighting it. »</p><p>« You’re delusional, Magnum. There’s nothing between us; except maybe a physical attraction that is exacerbated by sexual frustration on your part. »</p><p>He scoffed, she was truly doing everything she could to downplay what had happened between them.</p><p>« The sexual tension, that you claim is only felt by me, led us to grope each other like lustful teenagers the other day. And you seemed pretty on board with what was happening. You know very well that we would have continued if it weren’t for my phone interrupting us. »</p><p> “What happened that morning was a mistake and it will never happen again,” she said adamantly.</p><p>Magnum got up from the bed, fed up about circling around what they felt for each other, before he turned towards her.</p><p>“I think you’re just a coward who is scared of facing your own feelings. Maybe it’s time for you to be honest with me; and yourself,” he accused her harshly.</p><p>With that, he left the bedroom and went to sleep downstairs, not feeling like being near her right now.</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Higgins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy New Year people!!!! I hope 2021 will treat you kindly and that we'll have plenty of Miggy moments to watch and to write about :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Juliet looked far into the distance as she pushed on the soles of her feet, feeling her sneakers sink into the golden sand. She tried to mute her mind, each stride bringing her further away from Robin's Nest, Magnum, and everything that had been said and left unsaid between them. </p><p>She ran until her lungs couldn't take it anymore; until the burning in her chest replaced the ache in her heart. Even Zeus and Apollo couldn't keep up with her and were barking at her, as if trying to tell her to wait for them. </p><p>She finally stopped, doubled over to try and catch her breath. She could feel beads of sweat roll down her collarbone before disappearing into her purple sports bra. For a moment she even thought she was going to be sick. </p><p>Maybe she overdid it, she thought as she watched the dogs.</p><p>They were both lying on the sand next to her feet; apparently she had exhausted them.</p><p>Now that her oxygen levels were getting back to normal, her thoughts inevitably traveled to her marital issues and the tense interactions she and Magnum had with each other over the past couple of days. </p><p>She missed the easy relationship they had built in the last couple of months, but she understood something was bothering him and it was drawing a wedge between them. </p><p>She sighed as she started to go back to the estate, at a much slower pace.</p><p>« Come on, lads. »</p><p>The Dobermans stood up and joined her as she tried to enjoy the scenery around her but it wasn’t working.</p><p>The more she tried to ignore the issue with Magnum, the more she actually thought about it. So much so that she had forgotten who she was supposed to remember yesterday.</p><p>Richard.</p><p>Yesterday had been the anniversary of his death and she had forgotten about it.</p><p>When she woke up this morning and the information had finally registered in her brain, she felt awful. Nobody knew about this particular date and what it meant to her, and she made sure to keep it as a secret; even from Magnum, prefering to keep her grief private.</p><p>Only on that day did she let herself entertain special thoughts about Richard and the life she had lost with him: their marriage and the planned parenthood they were looking forward to.</p><p>Not thinking about him this year made her feel incredibly guilty, like she was forgetting him. </p><p>Maybe she was, she thought as her heart clenched. </p><p>Maybe Magnum had been slowly but surely taking his place in her heart.</p><p>She knew she had feelings for him: she cared about him and was emotionally attached to him, but was it love?</p><p>She thought she had loved Richard with all her heart, but what she was feeling for Magnum seemed even stronger.</p><p>Maybe what she felt for her husband was love after all.</p><p>But she had already lost the love of her life once. She understood now that she had been lucky enough to be granted another chance with another amazing man, but she felt frozen; too scared of losing him like she lost Richard. She knew she wouldn’t be able to live through that again.</p><p>The episode at the warehouse was evidence of that. When she had thought she had lost him, she swore she felt her heart stop, and there would have been no possibility to start it back if he had died that day.</p><p>She finally made it back to Robin’s Nest and went straight to the kitchen for a bottle of water while the dogs were noisily slurping into their bowls of water. She was hanging out in the main house because she didn’t want to run into her husband right now. She needed some time to think about a lot of things.</p><p>She then went in the study and sat at her desk when her eyes fell on the shelf on her right where the bottle of mixed sand from the wedding was sitting.</p><p>Their wedding. At first she didn't want to make a big deal out of it, she just intended to go to city hall and get it over with, but Magnum had convinced her to do a small, private ceremony to make it look more convincing. She had no regrets about listening to him; their wedding had been perfect and she would cherish that day in her heart for a long time.</p><p>She was so lost in her musings that she didn’t hear Kumu entering the room and was startled when she spoke.</p><p>« Good morning Juliet. »</p><p>« Good morning Kumu. Sorry, my mind was elsewhere I guess. »</p><p>The older woman smiled and sat in the armchair on the other side of the desk.</p><p>“You know why I love this marriage ritual so much?” She asked her as she pointed towards the bottle of mixed sand.</p><p>Higgins shook her head.</p><p>“As soon as the white and black sands are poured, it’s impossible to separate them again. Their lives are so infinitely united in marriage that you can’t go back to just white sand or black sand.”</p><p>Juliet thought about that and had to agree because there was no way her life with Magnum hadn’t changed her to her core. She didn’t know if she could go back to her life from before and they had only been married for two months.</p><p>How could she forget the horrified expression he had worn when she had made dinner for them and it was a vegetarian dish? Or how the next day he decided he would be the one to cook and made her lasagna. She had loved the proud expression he had worn when she told him it was delicious. </p><p>What about movie night? How could she go back to watching movies on her own, without Magnum talking through the entire thing? Or without him falling asleep when she finally won and they watched the movie she had chosen? Those times were her favorite because she dared to slide closer to him and lay her head on his shoulder while he slept peacefully next to her.</p><p>Kumu broke her out of her reverie for the second time in less than ten minutes.</p><p>« I have something for you. »</p><p>Juliet frowned as she eyed the wrapped package the Hawaiian woman put on the desk in front of her.</p><p>“Come on, open it.”</p><p>She did as she was told and found a picture inside a beautiful, golden frame. </p><p>"They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I believe this one speaks for itself," Kumu told her.</p><p>It was a photograph of Magnum and her on their wedding day, the exact moment right before they first kissed as husband and wife. She was cupping his cheek and they were staring into each other’s eyes. The way they looked at each other made her gasp; there was so much affection, especially in his eyes. </p><p>“I took it with my phone and I thought it was so beautiful it belonged in a frame. And just so you know, that’s exactly what I showed the immigration lady as my answer when she asked me if your marriage was genuine.”</p><p>Juliet looked up from the frame in her hands to meet Kumu’s eyes.</p><p>Right, immigration.</p><p>In the midst of all this drama and tension between her and Magnum, she had almost forgotten the reason why they were married in the first place; and that reason wasn’t love.</p><p>Kumu must have sensed where her thoughts had drifted because she put her hand on top of hers.</p><p>“I just thought you needed to see what everyone around you is already seeing. We didn’t have to lie to immigration about your attachment to one another.”</p><p>“Having feelings for each other is not going to be enough for this marriage to become a real one, Kumu.”</p><p>“Maybe not, but it’s a start.”</p><p>With that, she got up and left her, and Juliet felt even more lost than before. One thing was for sure, she needed to shower after her intense run.</p><p>She placed the framed picture on the desk where she could see it while working, and made her way towards the guesthouse where she found Magnum in the kitchen, taking ingredients out of the cupboards.</p><p>“Hey,” she greeted him.</p><p>She twirled her wedding rings nervously around her finger. He looked up from measuring flour but didn't smile at her. She felt a pang in her stomach, it didn't bode well for their conversation. </p><p>"Hey," he answered noncommittally. </p><p>"What are you doing?" She asked as she tried to break the ice. </p><p>"It's Sunday so I'm making chocolate chip pancakes for brunch." </p><p>"Okay, that sounds nice." </p><p>He looked at her again and she could tell she wasn't going to like where this was going. </p><p>"Maybe you'd like to shower before we eat." </p><p>"No, it looks like you have something to say and I'd like for us to stop beating around the bush and say what's on our minds." </p><p>She was mentally preparing herself for him announcing that he wanted a divorce. </p><p>"Okay, as you wish." </p><p>He wiped his hands on a dish towel, a bit embarrassed by what he had to tell her. </p><p>"I'm thinking about reenlisting in the Navy Seals." </p><p>"I'm sorry, what?" </p><p>She really wasn't expecting that. </p><p>"You heard me," he told her as he rolled his eyes and she was impressed, it almost looked like her. </p><p>“You can’t be serious?”</p><p>“Yes, I think it’s the best solution for us right now.”</p><p>“The best solution? The day we married you begged me not to let you live here alone and now you’re actually doing the very same thing you didn’t want me to do?”</p><p>“We were different back then.”</p><p>She scoffed. He had to be joking. </p><p>“That was two months ago.”</p><p>He continued as if she hadn’t said anything.</p><p>“We can remain married so you can apply for your green card, but I would be sent away on missions. I would get out of your hair and I wouldn’t have to suffer in silence because my feelings are not reciprocated. We’ll get a divorce in a year claiming we couldn’t handle the distance. Everybody wins.”</p><p>He shrugged and went back to his pancake batter.</p><p>“Feelings?” </p><p>Heat rushed through her body and her heart hammered in her chest. Maybe they would be having a conversation about feelings after all. </p><p>“Oh yeah, haven’t you heard? I’m in love with you.”</p><p>She blinked a couple of times, not sure if she heard him properly. He was in love with her? And he told her like he would tell her about the day’s weather.</p><p>He turned around to cook the pancakes in the pan. </p><p>How could he act so normal when he just dropped not one, but two bombs on her?</p><p>“When is your next mission?”</p><p>She tried to keep the emotions out of her voice, but she was failing miserably as her throat constricted and she felt the tears well up in her eyes.</p><p>“I have a meeting with Greene’s replacement tomorrow morning. I’ll know more then."</p><p>He was in love with her. </p><p>And he was leaving.</p><p>He was leaving her.</p><p>She had been scared of losing him if she acted on her feelings; and yet she was going to lose him because she actually wasn’t responding to his feelings.</p><p>Talk about irony.</p><p>She sniffled as she felt two fat tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt unbalanced, like someone had swept out a rug under her feet. She had barely started understanding the extent of her feelings for him and he was abandoning her. </p><p>He was still here though, and she would be damned if she let him escape without telling him how she felt. She didn't have time anymore and words might not be enough to make him stay, but she had to try anyway. </p><p>She practically ran to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, pressing  herself against his back while he was flipping pancakes like nothing was out of the ordinary.</p><p>She felt him stiffen before he let out a deep breath and turned off the burner but still didn’t move. She laid her cheek between his shoulder blades.</p><p>“Don’t leave me, Thomas,” she sobbed.</p><p>How could she live without his warmth? They were living in Hawaii where no one was ever cold, yet she was craving his body heat against hers all the time.</p><p>He caressed her hands that were tightly gripping his chest where she could feel his heart beat steadily, but he still didn’t say anything.</p><p>“I want this life with you. I want the morning cuddles with the wandering hands, the Sunday brunch with your wonderful pancakes. I want the partnership at work and the date nights at La Mariana. I want to run with you on the beach and I want to make love with you. I even want to one day hear little feet pitter-patter around the house. You’re it for me, Thomas, you’re the one who made me forget about the life I lost. I want to experience all of these things, but only if you’re the one I’m sharing them with.”</p><p>She couldn’t stop her tears now, her heart ached so much at the thought of losing him because of her stubborn heart and mind.</p><p>He turned around in her embrace and she saw his misted eyes looking at her like he couldn’t believe what she had just said. It made her want to confess everything; this secret she kept inside her chest for so long was suffocating her now.</p><p>“I love you Thomas.”</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Magnum</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone!!</p><p>This is the longest chapter I have ever written and I hope it will do justice to the story.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I love you Thomas.”</p><p>A chill traveled through his whole body when he thought of how long he had waited to hear those words from her, to have his feelings reciprocated by the woman he loved. But the timing couldn't be more wrong, not when he had already made his decision. </p><p>"Don't say that." </p><p>He pushed her slightly away so he could escape to the other side of the kitchen near the bar. Her proximity was distracting and he needed a clear head to think things through. </p><p>"Why?" She asked through her tears. </p><p>Thomas looked at her, with her red eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks and he truly hated it when she cried. It was like the strongest person he knew had finally crumbled in front of his eyes and his stomach twisted uncomfortably at the sight. </p><p>“Don't say it unless you mean it," he begged her. </p><p>He wouldn't recover if she wasn't honest with him, not about this. </p><p>She wiped her cheeks to erase the tear tracks and looked at him, even more hurt than before it seemed.</p><p>« You think I intended to put on a show like that just to confess a lie? How manipulative do you think I am? »</p><p>« I know you're not like that but you have to admit the timing is a bit suspicious. »</p><p>He wanted to believe her, so much, but a small part inside of him couldn’t help but feel wary.</p><p>« Well, I have been thinking about my feelings for you since you called me a coward a few days ago. I thought I was finally beginning to understand them and was willing to come to talk to you about it when you announced you were leaving me to be a Seal again. Pardon me if it doesn’t fit in your busy timetable, » she ranted.</p><p>« Just because you told me those three little words doesn’t mean I’ll change my mind though, » he told her, even though he was mostly trying to convince himself as he could already feel his resolve crumble.</p><p>« I didn't say this to make you stay, Thomas. Even if I want my words to have that much power, I'm not naive enough to expect them to. I just remembered what I said in my vows. I promised I would try to make you feel the way you make me feel and even if we never said those words before today, I want you to know that the way you've been treating me since the whole visa debacle started has made me feel so loved. I guess I wanted you to feel loved by me too. And if you leave, I'll be here waiting for you, " she delivered her speech with a clear and sure voice as if she had no hesitation about the veracity of her words. </p><p>She wiped away the last of her tears and he could now feel her resolve, as if it suddenly became very important to her that he believed her.</p><p>Magnum’s heart raced when he heard she wanted to reciprocate all the love he tried to convey to her without even realizing it. He also couldn’t forget her earlier words about her wanting this married life with him and he had to admit he wanted everything she had listed with her and then more.</p><p>« So you love me? » He asked her as he took one step towards her.</p><p>« And you love me too? » She asked to make sure his hasty confession was real.</p><p>He nodded slowly but vehemently.</p><p>"I do. So much. Like I've never loved anyone before." </p><p>« Finally something we can agree on! » She exclaimed as she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck.</p><p>He grinned widely when she was securely in his arms and tightened his arms around her waist before seizing her lips with his own to kiss her at last.</p><p>They kissed desperately: their lips moving against the other's, their tongues mingling rapidly and their teeth clashing from time to time but Thomas didn't care. They were done holding back; no more undercover PDA, no more tentative touching because neither of them was willing to admit their attraction for the other, they were all in without any pretense.</p><p>Juliet moaned softly into his mouth and he pressed her even closer to him. He had wanted her for so long he could feel his blood boil with arousal. The fact that she was still in her running outfit and only wearing a sports bra, which allowed his fingers direct contact with her heated skin, was not helping him restrain himself.</p><p>But he tried to keep himself under control. They weren't holding back, yes, but the last thing he wanted was to scare her off. </p><p>They eventually broke apart when they were out of breath, and when their eyes locked, a grin slowly appeared on both of their faces. He couldn't help but notice how dilated her pupils were and it did something to his lower belly; it was a rush of want for his wonderful wife.</p><p>He smiled affectionately as he trailed his fingers in her blond curls, realizing how lucky he was to be living in this exact moment with her. </p><p>"I love you, Juliet," he breathed. </p><p>"I love you too, Thomas." </p><p>He wrapped his arms around her petite figure and pulled her into a hug, so relieved they had finally admitted how they felt. She returned his hug and ran her palm gently up and down his back before speaking again.</p><p>“What happens next?”</p><p>He let her go so they could look at each other; he didn’t want to hide anything from her anymore. </p><p>“I guess I'll go to my appointment tomorrow and tell them I can't reenlist.” </p><p>“What happened to my words not changing your mind?” She asked him with her eyebrows raised in questioning.</p><p>He grinned at her.</p><p>“They didn't…. Or maybe they did. Would it be so bad if they actually made me change my mind?”</p><p>She sighed as she pushed her hair back and Thomas thought it wasn’t a good sign. </p><p>“You know how I said that, this,” she spoke as she showed him her wedding rings “Didn't mean that I belonged to you? It's the same for you. I want you to stay here with me if that’s what you want, but if being a Seal is what you truly want to do, who am I to stand in the way? I can just be here and wait for you to return while being very proud of my Navy Seal husband.” </p><p>He understood her logic but his wish to become a Seal again had less to do with the pride he felt while he was on a mission than a desire to keep his distance from her when he had thought his love wasn’t reciprocated.</p><p>“The thing is, I also want the morning cuddles with you, the partnership at work and everything you mentioned earlier. I want to build something with you, have a family. I can't have all of that if I'm all the way across the world. While I'm extra proud of my work as a Seal, that part of my life is in the past and you are my future. I used to be a Navy man and now I want to be a PI, but I also want to be your husband and the father of your children.”</p><p>Her lips slowly stretched into a wide smile.</p><p>“Children? Plural? I think you're being a little ambitious here, Mr. Magnum,” she said in a seductive voice.</p><p>He took her hands in his and pressed a kiss on the knuckles of her left hand. He would give her anything she wanted; if she didn’t want kids at all or wanted five kids he would be happy as long as he was with her.</p><p>“I want whatever you want, Love.” </p><p>He relinquished her right hand when she cupped his cheek and pressed her closed lips to his for a short kiss. It felt so natural and intimate that his heart beat just as fast as their more heated kisses from earlier.</p><p>“We don't have to decide right away you know?” She told him.</p><p>“Yes, we will have to practice a lot in the meantime because I think I forgot how to make babies,” he teased her as he drew her closer again. </p><p>She smiled and hummed her approval against his lips as she went for another kiss. </p><p>“We'll need lots of practice then.”</p><p>“What do you say, Mrs. Magnum, should we christen our conjugal bed?” </p><p>She trailed her fingers into his hair and he couldn’t resist the lure of her lips again.</p><p>“Do you mind if we make a detour by the shower first? I'm all sweaty and disgusting from my run,” she asked as they broke apart.</p><p>“I don't mind as long as I'm the one washing your back.”</p><p>They both grinned mischievously. </p><p>“Deal!”</p><p>They climbed the stairs quickly and headed towards the bathroom. While Magnum turned on the shower, Juliet removed her sneakers and socks and when he turned back to her she was removing her purple sports bra, offering him a nice view of her small but oh so beautiful breasts.</p><p>He had already seen her naked - several times even - but today felt different. It didn’t seem forbidden, even if he tried not to ogle her. She deserved to be romanced and respected, not to be lusted after by some horny man. </p><p>He walked towards her and quickly removed his t-shirt that he had worn to cook breakfast. She smiled at the sight of his naked chest and slowly peeled away her leggings. When he arrived in front of her she was only wearing her panties and he was just wearing his boxers. </p><p>She placed her palms on his pecs and trailed them upward to his shoulders. His hands wrapped around her waist while their eyes never left each other's before he slid his fingers beneath the cotton fabric and pushed it downwards until it fell to the floor. </p><p>She did the same for his underwear and they were now both naked, not that they could actually see anything from standing so close to one another while they stared at each other's eyes. </p><p>"You look gorgeous," he told her anyways; because he knew she did. </p><p>She blushed slightly and Magnum thought it was the most adorable thing. She didn't say anything but grabbed his hand and led him to the shower where she stepped under the spray of warm water. </p><p>He watched her and his breath hitched; never before had he felt so enamored with anyone. She was it, the woman of his dreams. </p><p>She broke him out of his reverie when she presented him her bottle of shampoo with a smile. He grabbed it and pressed a small dollop into his palm while she turned around to present him with her back. He started lathering her hair, massaging her scalp gently with his fingers until he drew a soft moan out of her. </p><p>He swallowed his saliva, as he felt himself stir at the vision of water streaming down her pale skin and the sound of her enjoying his touch in her hair. He kept his distance from her body, not willing to be too aroused before they had even started anything. </p><p>Once he finished washing her hair, he turned her around with his hands on her hips and urged her to tilt her head back so he could rinse her locks. He didn't resist bending slightly to press his lips to her throat eliciting a giggle from her as his kiss tickled her. </p><p>When all the shampoo was gone she came closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck to fuse her mouth to his, mingling her tongue with his. He quickly pushed her hips slightly away from his, preventing any contact between their lower bodies. The feeling of her breasts against his chest was enough of a turn-on already.</p><p>She broke away from his mouth but kept her arms around him. </p><p>"What's wrong?" she asked him. </p><p>"Nothing. I'm… just trying to pace myself, " he mumbled while avoiding her eyes. </p><p>"Are you ashamed of being aroused?" </p><p>He chuckled nervously. </p><p>"What? Of course not." </p><p>She raised her eyebrows and threw him a smirk, seeing through his lie perfectly. He sighed. </p><p>"I don't want you to feel like it's the only thing I'm thinking about."</p><p>"I know you, Thomas. I know that's not the only thing on your mind. Besides, I would be worried if you were not aroused right now to be honest. Also, just because you can’t see it, that doesn't mean I'm not turned on as well."</p><p>He smiled and took advantage of the fact that she talked about herself to redirect the attention. </p><p>"I'm glad to see that I wasn't the only one having some trouble with that issue during our time living together."</p><p>" What do you mean? " She asked as she tilted her head to the side in curiosity. </p><p>" I mean that I heard you that morning while you were in the shower pleasuring yourself," he grinned. </p><p>Her eyes widened and a blush crept up on her cheeks.</p><p>" You did?"</p><p>" Yes, and you have no idea what it did to me. I had to escape before I barged into the bathroom and joined you. I went kayaking instead, and since it didn't go down… , " he said as he gestured to his crotch. "... I had to take matters into my own hands as well. "</p><p>He hoped she would feel less embarrassed when she learned he had done the same as she had. </p><p>" Really? "</p><p>" Yeah, and I fell down into the water. A kayak is not the best place to masturbate, who would have thought? " He joked. </p><p>She laughed. </p><p>" Oh my God, is that why you came back soaking wet that morning?" </p><p>He cringed at the memory. </p><p>"Yes." </p><p>She laughed some more. </p><p>"Do you know that I thought really hard on how it was supposed to be my fault?" </p><p>"Well, it was! You were already sexy as hell on any given day, but when I heard you moan in that shower, God, I didn't know how I would keep on living so close to you and not explode." </p><p>She cupped his cheek and pressed her lips against his other cheek. </p><p>"Maybe it's time we put an end to this dry spell?" </p><p>"Oh yes, please," he begged. </p><p>She chuckled. </p><p>"Just give me a minute." </p><p>She let him go and turned away again to grab her shower gel. </p><p>"Hey, I was supposed to wash your back!" </p><p>She squirted a dollop into his palm. </p><p>"I’ll do the front and you do the back, okay?" </p><p>They quickly washed themselves, trying to be as fast as possible, before they stepped out of the shower to dry themselves.</p><p>She dropped her towel on the floor when she was done and turned around before walking away from him in the direction of the bedroom. Her sashaying hips were hypnotic and he couldn't tear his eyes from her retreating back side until she stopped and looked over her shoulder. </p><p>"You coming, Babe?" </p><p>Thomas almost choked on his own saliva; not only at the use of the moniker but also at the thought that, yes, he was going to come any minute if she kept that up. </p><p>It took him a minute to regain his senses and when he finally joined her she was already stretched out on their bed, awaiting him.</p><p>He stood at the foot of the bed and looked at her, her toned body bare for his eyes only, and felt humbled that she chose to share her entire being with him.</p><p>« What are you waiting for? » She asked him as she propped herself up on her elbows.</p><p>He fidgeted on his feet, feeling stupid at how nervous he was.</p><p>« I’ve been waiting for this for so long, I don’t know where to start, » he admitted.</p><p>« Come lie down with me and kiss me, please. »</p><p>She extended her hand for him to take and he finally joined her before he lay down on his side. She did the same so they could face each other and he trailed his fingers into her wet curls as he joined his lips to hers for a slow kiss that turned heated in a few seconds. She scooted closer to him and Thomas groaned when their naked bodies were flushed against each other.</p><p>It felt so good, too good; so he broke away from the kiss and tried to take a few calming breaths.</p><p>“Thomas, what’s wrong?” She asked him in a concerned tone.</p><p>“Ah, nothing’s wrong, Love. I just need to catch my breath.”</p><p>She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.</p><p>“Don’t lie to me, Thomas Magnum. You’re in excellent shape so there’s no way you would be this out of breath with a simple kiss.”</p><p>“First of all, it was a great kiss and I’m surprised that you’re not breathing quickly. And second of all, you’re right. I guess I’m nervous for our first time.”</p><p>She cupped his cheek and her eyes grew soft at his admission.</p><p>“But, why? Don’t you want this?” She asked nervously and Magnum felt bad for worrying her for nothing.</p><p>“Of course I want it, Love. I want it too much if you know what I mean.”</p><p>He pushed her hips towards his so she could feel how hard his member was for her.</p><p>“Oh!” She gasped.</p><p>“Yeah. This is what you do to me Juliet. I want you really bad but I want our first time to be memorable and I want to please you so much.”</p><p>“Babe, this is our first time, it’s going to be memorable in itself,” she pressed a gentle kiss on his lips, “And I’m sure I will enjoy it because I want you as much as you want me. So please, don’t put pressure on yourself and let’s focus on ourselves, ok?”</p><p>He took a deep breath again and nodded at her. He knew she was right. No pressure. He just needed to regain control of his urges again.</p><p>He pushed her slightly so she would roll on her back before he hovered over her body. He met her eyes and they both smiled at each other.</p><p>“I love you, Mrs. Magnum.”</p><p>He didn’t know why he deserved such a wonderful woman, but he would try to show her everyday how thankful he was to have her by his side.</p><p>“I love you too, Mr. Magnum.”</p><p>He kissed her and thought he would never tire from hearing her say those words to him. He brushed his lips across her cheek towards her neck and while he mapped the gorgeous column of her neck she spoke again.</p><p>« You know what? I secretly love it when people called me Mrs. Magnum. »</p><p>He chuckled against her shoulder, still mindful to keep minimum of contact between his lower body and her skin.</p><p>« You do? Well I’m glad to hear that because I hope it will be your name for a very long time. »</p><p>She threaded her fingers in his hair and scratched his scalp gently making him moan against her collarbone.</p><p>« I hope so too. »</p><p>He licked a trail from her collarbone to her breasts before nipping the soft swell of them, making her restless under him. He finally gave her what she wanted when he wrapped his lips around her left nipple and flicked it with his tongue before giving the same treatment to the right one. He kept alternating between them both until she groaned out of frustration.</p><p>« You’re not the only one who’s impatient, you know? Can you move along, please? »</p><p>He grinned against her skin, so pleased that she was as aroused as he was. While he was thinking about her own pleasure, he wasn’t focused on his own, allowing him to reign in his desire for now. </p><p>« As you wish. »</p><p>He chuckled when she rolled her eyes at his answer but she had been the one insisting on watching the movie Princess Bride a couple of weeks ago and now he kept annoying her with this response.</p><p>He continued his journey downward, trailing his nimble fingers across her taut stomach until they reached her hips. His lips followed and settled below her bellybutton where he pressed a kiss. He tried not to imagine this belly swollen with a baby they would have conceived out of their love. It was much too soon to think about that, but it didn’t stop his heart from swelling at the image his mind had conjured.</p><p>He felt Higgins’ pelvis rise from the bed to urge him towards where she wanted him the most. He caught her eyes as he spread her thighs and lay on his stomach between them. Her chest was rising rapidly as she panted her anticipation, eager to feel his touch.</p><p>He started peppering light kisses across her inner thighs until he reached her center.</p><p>Thomas spread her folds gently with his thumbs, and his mouth watered when he saw how wet she was for him. He must have stared at her for too long because Higgins made her impatience known.</p><p>“Please, Magnum!”</p><p>He leaned down so he could run his tongue from her entrance to her clit, as if he was licking an ice cream cone, and he discovered she was just as delicious as one.</p><p>Her hips flew upwards as one of her hands ended up in his hair again while the other one gripped her own locks. He pushed her hips back down and placed one hand on her stomach to keep her in place as he watched her and her reactions to everything he was doing to her; from flicking and suckling her clit to thrusting one, then two fingers into her heat. </p><p>Thomas was really enjoying himself, drawing out all those wonderful sounds from her lips that showed him he was bringing her so much pleasure just like he had wanted all along.</p><p>Her moans were getting louder so he knew she was close. He sped up the rhythm of his fingers and scraped his front teeth down her sensitive clit, causing a surprised cry to escape her lips.</p><p>He removed the hand on her stomach that was keeping her down and let her move her hips against him to chase after her release. She gripped his hair tighter and arched her neck as she pushed on her heels to accompany his movements until she clenched around his fingers and shouted his name to the ceiling.</p><p>Magnum’s eyes widened as he watched her whole body tense and become covered with goosebumps as she rode her orgasm while he kept his mouth and fingers busy to prolong the sensation for as long as possible.</p><p>Only when she sagged down on the mattress did he release his hold on her. His breathing had quickened as he watched the woman he loved - his wife - overwhelmed with pleasure that she had gotten from his touch. He smiled as all the nervousness from before disappeared. </p><p>This time when his body covered hers again, he didn’t hold back and made sure all of their skin was finally in contact. He waited for her to catch her breath as he buried his nose in the soft and fragrant skin of her neck, inhaling her trademark scent that he loved so much. </p><p>He felt her take a deep breath as she caressed his shoulders and he took it as a cue to start kissing across her cheek until he reached her lips and seized her mouth in a deep, languid kiss. She moaned as she registered her own taste on his tongue. </p><p>"You have no idea how incredible you looked while you came," he breathed against her lips. </p><p>She hummed as she stretched as much as she could while being pinned to the mattress by his weight. The slight friction between their bodies felt amazing. </p><p>"You're the incredible one. I can't believe you were worried about it not being enjoyable for me." </p><p>They kissed some more while their hands tried to touch as much skin as they could until they couldn't take it anymore. </p><p>"Can I be on top?" She asked him. </p><p>He grinned. </p><p>"Of course you can." </p><p>He rolled them over while keeping her body pressed against his as much as he could and watched in awe as she sat up, with her legs on each side of his hips, giving him an excellent view of her gorgeous curves. </p><p>His fingers ran up her thighs to wrap around her hips loosely, letting her decide when she would be ready for the next step. She trailed her hands from his belly up his chest and no words were needed between them, not with the way their eyes held each other. </p><p>Magnum was so caught up in her soft gaze that he startled slightly when she rose up on her knees and grabbed his erect penis to align their bodies together. He held his breath while she slid slowly, inch by inch down his member until he was fully sheathed in her wet heat. </p><p>He closed his eyes and dug his fingers into her hips to keep her in place as he breathed slowly and deeply. He needed to think about something else other than what they were actually doing or he would be embarrassed very soon. </p><p>It seemed like she also needed time to adjust to his intrusion as she kept still for a full minute but then, she drew a circle with her hips to test the waters, and Magnum suddenly wanted more. He was overwhelmed by his desire and wanted to see her in the throes of passion again so he tried to push his pelvis slightly up to initiate movement. </p><p>She understood his message as she undulated faster and harder and let him thrust into her to add more friction. Their pants and moans filled the room while she braced herself on his ribs to gain more leverage in her moves. They were both becoming desperate for release as they sped up and Thomas was amazed at the vision of her, with her bouncing breasts and dancing hips above him, so much that he needed to do something quickly to divert his attention. </p><p>He sat up suddenly and she stilled as he surprised her, but when their eyes met and he banded one arm around her back, she caught up with his idea and wrapped her arms around his neck. They rearranged their legs so they were now sitting Indian style and there was no denying how intimate this position was - their chests pressed against each other and their gaze so heated and so close that they couldn't escape it. </p><p>Juliet pushed her heels against his lower back to resume her moves and Thomas couldn't resist kissing her lips that were right in front of him, swallowing her moans. They were both close to their climax so he slipped one hand between their bodies and pressed his thumb to her sensitive bundle of nerves. She groaned against his lips and sped up her rhythm. </p><p>When she closed her eyes and arched her neck while biting her lower lip, he couldn't hold on anymore. </p><p>She must have felt his inner turmoil as she whispered. </p><p>"Yes, come, I'll be right behind you." </p><p>Magnum finally let go of the tight leash he had on his desire and growled her name loudly as his lower body clenched and then released. </p><p>In the midst of his climax, he felt her inner walls squeeze him and flutter as she reached her orgasm in a long cry. </p><p>As soon as they had both ridden the waves of their pleasure, they slumped against each other and Magnum tried to lie down slowly while keeping her against him until they were both stretched out on the bed.</p><p>He caressed the expanse of her back, enjoying the feel of his fingers against her soft skin and her whole body on top of him while they basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking. </p><p>He had never felt that way before with anyone else - that fulfilled - showing him how his love for Juliet had changed everything in his life and he would do anything he could to keep her by his side.</p><p>He tightened his arms around her body to squeeze her closer to him until she lifted her head from his shoulder and brushed her lips against his. She stretched above him, sliding her legs along his with him still nestled inside of her making him hiss as he felt her walls clench around him. She grinned, apparently very proud of herself as she kept teasing him with her lips, not fully kissing him but sharing the same air. She was driving him nuts and he loved it.</p><p>After a few minutes of this he got frustrated and grabbed the back of her head for a real, deep kiss, making her moan into his mouth. She broke away before they got too carried away and stroked his stubbled cheek. She seemed lost in her thoughts so Thomas took the opportunity to observe her, her serious expression so distant with her wild curls that had dried messily around her face.</p><p>« What is it? » He asked her when the silence stretched between them.</p><p>She took a deep breath and met his eyes.</p><p>« I have something to confess. »</p><p>Magnum smiled softly.</p><p>« Did we make a baby already? »</p><p>She chuckled as she shook her head.</p><p>« Hold your horses, Magnum. I’m still on the pill for now. »</p><p>He felt she was anxious to tell him what was bothering her.</p><p>« Hey, » he said softly as he lifted her chin with his fingers to meet his eyes again. « You can tell me anything. »</p><p>« When you proposed at first and I agreed to marry you for the visa, I had a lot of doubts and after a conversation with Katsumoto I was ready to decline your offer. »</p><p>She paused to gauge his reaction but he wasn’t surprised by what she was telling him. He knew her and of course she would have tried to find any other solution than marry him at first.</p><p>« I couldn’t find a way out of marriage because I only had one week before I had to leave the country, so I went to ask TC if he would take your place. »</p><p>Magnum’s eyes widened; he didn’t see that one coming.</p><p>« What? » He asked, feeling like he had been doused with cold water.</p><p>« I went to TC because the thought of marrying you was giving me tingles in my belly and that’s certainly not something I wanted to feel about a fake wedding. I didn’t know about it then but I was already in love with you, Thomas. TC was safe, but he refused to do it and urged me to give you a chance. He said you would surprise me in a good way. »</p><p>He took a deep breath; he wanted to be hurt by what she had just told him but he also understood how she must have felt back then.</p><p>« And have I? » He asked her.</p><p>Her eyes became misty as she pressed her forehead to his.</p><p>« I discovered the real you, the one who is not putting on a show for everyone, and I became even more in love with you, with how funny and caring you are. Living with you has made me realize how perfect we are together, so different and yet so complementary. »</p><p>His heart raced at her words; she was truly in love with him.</p><p>« TC told me something else too. When I second guessed your motivation for your proposal, he said that you would do anything to keep your Ohana together. »</p><p>She grabbed his left hand and ran one finger along his wedding ring.</p><p>« I thought about it for a long time and when I went to retrieve our wedding bands, I had something engraved in them. »</p><p>For the umpteenth time today, Thomas was astonished by this woman.</p><p>« There’s something engraved inside our wedding rings? »</p><p>She smiled softly.</p><p>« Yes, and you didn’t notice when you looked at them before the wedding. I was quite nervous because if you had, I don’t know what I would have told you to justify it. »</p><p>He removed his ring to see what was written and, when the light caught on the word « Ohana », heat bloomed inside his chest as emotions he couldn’t even identify ran through him.</p><p>« And it’s written in yours too? » He croaked out.</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>« As long as we both wear them, our Ohana will be united. »</p><p>« I love you so much, and marrying you was the best thing that has ever happened to me. »</p><p>« Same here, » she concurred as she wrapped her arms around his neck.</p><p>At that same moment, her stomach grumbled loudly and they laughed, lightening up the air around them.</p><p>« Are you hungry, Mrs. Magnum? »</p><p>« Well, someone promised pancakes but I still haven’t seen one yet. »</p><p>He caressed her butt gently.</p><p>« Come on, let’s eat. We’ll need strength for later, » he told her as he waggled his eyebrows.</p><p>She laughed as she got up, leaving his inviting body heat. She went into the walk-in closet and re-emerged wearing his blue shirt with the mandarin collar with just a few buttons fastened. He growled at the sight but remembered that he would be the one removing it from her body later. He quickly went to retrieve his bathrobe and joined her.</p><p>« Hey, Higgy? Will you go out with me? »</p><p>She laughed as she rolled her eyes.</p><p>« Babe, we’re already married. »</p><p>« Yeah, I know but we're not traditional people. We do things backwards. »</p><p>She wrapped her arms around his neck and Thomas took the opportunity to graze his hands across her naked butt that was now uncovered when his shirt rode up.</p><p>« Feed me first, and I’ll see if I’ll take you up on that date. »</p><p>He pecked her lips.</p><p>« Deal! »</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It is not truly the end, I will post an Epilogue for this story next week.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here it is, folks... The epilogue of Mr &amp; Mrs Magnum...</p><p>I'm a bit sad to see it through, this had been the longest work I have ever done so far.</p><p>I want to thank each and every one of you who has read, left  kudos, commented and I hope to see you soon.</p><p>I'm working on a new multichapter but I'm still at the beginning.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Juliet stirred when she felt warm, familiar lips graze against her cheekbone. </p><p>"Happy anniversary, Mrs. Magnum," Thomas whispered in her ear and she couldn't stop the wide grin from spreading on her face. She felt his warmth spooning her from behind but kept her eyes closed, relishing in his sexy, gravelly vocal timbre that he always had first thing in the morning.</p><p>She turned her head blindly towards his voice, not willing to leave the land of sleep just yet, but still willing to help herself to more kisses.</p><p>Their lips met unhurriedly and Juliet moved them softly against her husband’s until she couldn’t take it anymore and rolled over to face him, their mouths still fused together. </p><p>“Happy anniversary, Darling,” she responded when they broke apart but stayed wrapped in each other’s embrace.</p><p>She blinked her eyes open, trying to get used to the light streaming through the French doors but as soon as her vision became clear she saw his blinding smile - all white teeth and stretched out lips - and her heart started to race. </p><p>She still couldn't believe how handsome her husband was and how lucky she was to call him hers. His eyes were still as soft as when they met even with a few more lines drawn at the corner of them. She ran the palm of her hand down the side of his head where there was now more salt hair than pepper near his temple. She chased his grin with a kiss.</p><p>"I can't believe we've been married 7 years already," she added after a while. </p><p>Thomas ran his hand slowly up and down her back, eliciting a soft hum from her. </p><p>"In dog years it's almost half a century," he stated before she burst out laughing. </p><p>"Why on earth would you say that?" She asked with a wide grin. </p><p>He pushed her lower body closer to his and pressed a small kiss on her nose. </p><p>"Because it’s so silly that I knew you would laugh; and I love it when I make you smile." </p><p>"You're such a sap," she chuckled as she shook her head slightly. </p><p>He shrugged.</p><p>« You love me that way, » he stated, and she could see the mischievous glint she loved so much appear in his eyes.</p><p>She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew herself even closer to his body before rubbing her nose slowly against his.</p><p>« More and more everyday, » she whispered before seizing his lips again for a thorough kiss.</p><p>When he slipped his fingers beneath her tank top and ran them up her sides, bringing the fabric up as well, she broke away from him.</p><p>« Let’s not get too carried away, shall we? Or have you forgotten what happened the last time? » She asked in a husky voice.</p><p>He groaned, letting her know he remembered quite well.</p><p>« That’s too bad, I wanted to start our anniversary with a bang, » he said with a grin.</p><p>She rolled her eyes at his lame joke but couldn’t stop a smile from appearing on her face either. She was also disappointed about not pursuing this lovely morning with Magnum.</p><p>« You know, we can make it up for it tonight and end the day beautifully, » she told him with a naughty smirk.</p><p>His face lit up.</p><p>« I can’t…. »</p><p>He didn’t have time to finish his sentence before the bedroom door burst open and giggling little feet ran on the floorboards until they could jump on the bed to join Juliet and Thomas.</p><p>« … wait, » he muttered as he rolled away from his wife and earned an accidental kick in his lower belly from their daughter as she settled between them. He moaned from the pain and Juliet laughed. <em>Nothing like kids to kill the amorous mood!</em></p><p>The little girl saw that her father was in pain because of her.</p><p>« I’m sorry, Daddy. »</p><p>« That’s ok, Peanut. You didn’t do it on purpose, » Magnum told her to stop her from worrying.</p><p>Juliet turned towards the small frame of her daughter to press a good morning kiss on her forehead.</p><p>« Mama! Mama! »</p><p>The little babbling voice that shifted her attention away from her daughter belonged to their toddler who was desperately trying to follow his big sister and had trouble climbing on the bed. Juliet sat up to help him and he wasted no time before he climbed on his mother’s lap for a hug.</p><p>« Good morning, little one. How did you get out of bed? »</p><p>« Ellie, » her son answered as he buried his face in Juliet’s neck.</p><p>Both Magnum and Juliet looked at their daughter with raised eyebrows and the little girl grinned sheepishly.</p><p>« Ellie, you know he’s too heavy for you, » Thomas scolded his daughter.</p><p>« He almost did it all by himself, » the 5 year-old said to justify herself.</p><p>Juliet sighed. She wasn’t really surprised her daredevil of a toddler was now climbing out of his crib by himself. They might have to switch to a regular bed to prevent him from hurting himself, which was making her sad because that meant her baby wasn’t a baby anymore. She wished he wasn’t in such a rush to grow up.</p><p>She nudged the little boy, still clinging to her.</p><p>« Want to say hi to Daddy, James? » </p><p>« No. Mama. »</p><p>She threw an apologetic look to her husband. Their little boy was in full ´Mommy phase´ and while she adored being her son’s whole world, she knew Magnum was a bit jealous.</p><p>“That’s ok, at least my daughter likes me, right Peanut?” he asked his daughter who threw her arms around her father’s neck.</p><p>“Yes. I love you, Daddy.”</p><p>He squeezed her small body to him as he exchanged a tender smile with Juliet.</p><p>“I love you too, Peanut.”</p><p>“What are we doing today?” Ellie asked her parents.</p><p>“Well, what day is it today?” Magnum asked her in return.</p><p>“Sunday! Pancakes day!”</p><p>Juliet laughed at her daughter’s excitement just as she felt her son’s weight rest more heavily against her. It looked like little James was still a little sleepy and Higgins was looking forward to a little cuddly nap with her baby.</p><p>“Why don’t you and Daddy start on the pancakes and we will join you in a little while?”</p><p>Magnum caught up on how their son needed a bit more sleep and rose from the bed before grabbing their daughter like she weighed nothing and threw her over his shoulder, making her giggle when her head was upside down. Higgins watched them affectionately while they left the room, smiling at how Magnum managed to draw out those sounds from their always so serious daughter.</p><p>She lay down on the bed again slowly while trying not to jostle James too much. She blindly reached inside her nightstand for a pacifier, and when it was in her son’s mouth, he stroked the soft skin of her neck while inhaling her scent deeply as he settled more firmly against her.</p><p>He truly was his father’s son, as tactile and addicted to her scent as Magnum.</p><p>She relaxed as she drew soft circles across her son’s covered back.</p><p>Seven years. </p><p>Seven years since they had said ‘I do’ in front of their friends under a false pretense, not knowing, then, how it would change their lives forever. After they confessed their love to each other, they realized life wasn’t that different than it had been before: they were still working together, they were still getting on each other’s nerves, and they were both driving their friends crazy.</p><p>The only novelty had been how they expressed their love for each other, out in the open, a little too out in the open according to their friends who were tired of witnessing their sessions of PDA. Her immigration issues were finally resolved when she received her green card on their first anniversary, the very same day she found out she was pregnant with Ellie. Their wishes were eventually granted when their children completed their Ohana.</p><p>She pressed a kiss against James’ blonde curls as she felt him lose his battle against sleep, and basked in the warmth his little body was providing. She had never thought she would love being a mother that much.</p><p>When their daughter Eleonor “Ellie” Katherine Magnum was born, their whole world had flipped on its axis; everything they thought they knew about love had been shattered to pieces when they first laid eyes on the tiny, dark-haired infant.</p><p>Ellie was the spitting image of her father when it came to looks - caramel skin, dark eyes and hair, and the same puppy eyes as Magnum - however, she was a skinny little thing just like her mother and inherited of Higgins’ serious and quiet temper which made her the most determined 5 year-old they had ever met. Kumu often laughed that, with Juliet’s determinism and Magnum’s skillfulness their daughter seemed to possess, Ellie would most likely become one scary teenager.</p><p>Higgins wasn’t in a rush to find out about teenage rebellion as she squeezed her arms more tightly around her little baby, who unfortunately for her, wasn’t so little anymore.</p><p>James Thomas “J.T” Magnum had been quite a surprise to his parents from day one because they had both agreed that having one child was enough for them, especially since none of them were getting any younger and Ellie had been giving them plenty of work already.</p><p>One day, Higgins had woken up with flu-like symptoms and after feeling miserable for a week and a lot of pestering from Magnum, she finally went to the doctor who announced that it wasn’t the flu after all.</p><p>James also decided he was done waiting to be born and arrived three weeks early, almost giving his father a panic attack when Juliet told him he needed to bring her to the hospital.</p><p>Her son was now 20 months old and he was the opposite of his big sister, with the same blond curls as his mother, and if his skin wasn’t as dark as his sister’s, it was still at least two shades darker than Juliet’s. His eyes were the biggest surprise of all - green eyes just like her mother’s. Whenever she looked at her son, she couldn’t help the slight pang of sorrow at seeing her mother’s eyes looking back at her - the same clear eyes she had remembered before they were haunted by confusion and memory loss. </p><p>James’ personality was, however, the complete opposite of any Higgins family member’s. He was a little clown, always thriving on the attention and laughter he could draw out of people, and he had a full audience devoted to his every whim, especially Uncles Rick and T.C, who always volunteered to get in trouble with him. Higgins tried to throw them stern looks when that happened but hearing her baby giggle at his uncles’ antics more than made up for it.</p><p>She must have dozed off with her son because the next thing she knew she was awakened by lips on her skin again.</p><p>“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” Magnum whispered.</p><p>She hummed but didn’t open her eyes.</p><p>“I think I need a kiss from my Prince to fully wake up,” she told him.</p><p>She heard his chuckle before feeling the pressure of his closed lips against hers and couldn’t stop herself from trailing her fingers through his hair and deepening the kiss. She was still astonished at the butterflies making an appearance in her belly each and every time her husband kissed her, even after all these years. </p><p>She opened her eyes slowly and met the tender gaze of the love of her life - she still had yet to find a better way to wake up than with his kisses.</p><p>“How long was I out?” She asked him.</p><p>His hand joined hers on their son’s back, still asleep on her.</p><p>“20 minutes. The pancakes are done and served and I had to bribe Ellie not to eat them without you.”</p><p>She chuckled.</p><p>“Of course, you had. What did she get this time?”</p><p>“She will be allowed to visit Kumu after breakfast. Should we let him sleep?” He asked, gesturing to James.</p><p>“No, if he sleeps too much now he won’t want to take a nap and we both know what happens when he doesn’t sleep in the afternoon.”</p><p>Magnum’s eyes widened, remembering the exhausted, cranky baby they had to deal with the last time their son didn’t take his afternoon nap. </p><p>Just as Juliet started to stroke her baby’s cheek to rouse him, Magnum leaned towards her for another kiss and she knew exactly what her husband was aiming for when James whined.</p><p>“No kiss Dada!”</p><p>She rolled her eyes when Magnum broke away from her with a smirk; he couldn't help it, he complained about his son’s ‘Mommy phase’ but still had to provoke him.</p><p>“I can’t kiss Mommy?”</p><p>“No!”</p><p>“I’ll let you boys settle the matter,” Higgins sighed as she sat up.</p><p>She handed Magnum his son to deal with while she went to retrieve her bathrobe in the bathroom. She heard some complaints from her toddler but soon there were some giggles and she knew Thomas was being the ‘Tickle Monster’; it always worked like a charm. They had already gone downstairs when she came out of the bathroom.</p><p>When she arrived in the kitchen, she joined her family who was gathered at the kitchen counter where her daughter was already chewing a mouthful of chocolate chip pancakes.</p><p>« What happened to waiting for me? » She asked her as she dropped a kiss to the top of the little girl’s head before sitting next to her.</p><p>« Oops, » Ellie answered with food still in her mouth.</p><p>« I’d rather you wait until your mouth is empty before talking, » she chastised her daughter as she took the offered cup of coffee from her smirking husband’s hands.</p><p>The little girl swallowed before apologizing.</p><p>« Sorry Mommy. »</p><p>« It’s ok. How good are those pancakes anyway? »</p><p>Ellie giggled.</p><p>« They’re excellent, like always. Right, Daddy? »</p><p>« They sure are, Peanut, but I’m guessing it was your mother’s way of asking where her share of pancakes are, isn’t that it, Love? » </p><p>Magnum grinned as he slid a plate with three pancakes and a drizzle of maple syrup shaped like a heart on top of them. Her husband, the hopeless romantic; not that she was complaining.</p><p>« You know me too well, Darling, » she told him as she squeezed his hand in thanks.</p><p>She watched her son, who was suspiciously quiet in his high chair, but when she noticed his mouth was otherwise occupied with his bottle of chocolate milk, she felt reassured. Keep the toddler fed and he was happy as a clam.</p><p>They all ate in silence until Ellie declared she was done and going to Kumu’s, even though it was barely 8:15. Thank God Kumu was an early riser.</p><p>"Are you going to Kumu's in your pajamas, Sweets?" Higgins asked her before she rushed outside like the little Speedy Gonzales she was.</p><p>Ellie jumped from her chair and almost ran towards the stairs. </p><p>"I'm going to get dressed," she announced. </p><p>"Don't forget to brush your teeth," Juliet yelled so her daughter could hear her as she probably was already upstairs. </p><p>She grabbed her phone to text Kumu, warning her about Ellie's visit. The little girl and Kumu shared a special bond and Juliet loved that. The Hawaiian woman was like a grandmother to her kids and since neither Thomas nor she had living parents, she was glad they had someone to fill that spot. Ellie was a sponge, always willing to learn new things and Kumu was always happy to share her culture and historical facts about Hawaii. </p><p>When they found out about her first pregnancy, Kumu offered to go live in the guesthouse so their growing family could settle comfortably in the main house.</p><p>Ellie came downstairs in no time wearing a white tank top and light green shorts that enhanced the caramel hue of her skin. Higgins smiled at how beautiful she looked. </p><p>"When you're done with Kumu, you come meet us at the beach OK?" Magnum told her. </p><p>"OK, Daddy." </p><p>And with that, she was gone, followed by Zeus and Apollo who were always near her daughter, ever since she was born.</p><p>Higgins turned towards her husband again. </p><p>"And she's barefoot again." </p><p>Magnum shrugged. </p><p>"There are worse ways to live your childhood than being barefoot, don't you think?" </p><p>"I guess you're right. I told Kumu to kick her out in an hour or else she’ll stay there all day." </p><p>"Which means we have to start cleaning things up here if we want to be ready, and by things I mean…" </p><p>He gestured to James who was now covered in chocolate from the only pancake he ate. How did any of it end up in his stomach when it seemed like he wore all of it on his face? </p><p>She sighed but, when her baby caught her staring and addressed her to a toothy grin, she couldn’t help returning one of her own.</p><p>« Mama. »</p><p>« Yes, Baby. I’m here. »</p><p>She saw Magnum snap a picture of their chocolate-covered son with his phone and smiled.</p><p>« Come on, Buddy. Let’s get you ready for the beach, shall we? » Magnum told his son while extending his arms to show James he was going to pick him up.</p><p>The toddler clapped his hands and giggled when he heard the word « beach » and gladly went into his father’s arms. The prospect of going into the ocean made him forget about clinging to his mother and accept his father’s arms which Magnum knew when he offered them.</p><p>Juliet watched her two boys go upstairs to get ready while she enjoyed a moment of quiet to finish her coffee. She loved how wonderful a father Magnum was, not that she had any doubt about him being a devoted, hands-on Daddy before their children were born. She knew how his close relationship with his father meant to him and guessed he would do everything to build the same kind of connection with his own children.</p><p>She finished her hot beverage and stood up to put every dish in the dishwasher before going upstairs herself to get ready for an outing at the beach.</p><p>One hour later, Higgins was lying on several spread beach towels while doing crossword puzzles under the shade of the big beach umbrella above her head. She could hear Magnum’s and James’ laughter while they were playing in the waves which was one of her favorite sounds ever, followed closely by her husband’s voice and intimate moans. She was interrupted in her musings by her daughter standing in front of her with a Doberman on each side of her.</p><p>« Hello, Sweets. How was Kumu? »</p><p>Ellie sat indian style in front of her mother while the lads lied on the sand, watching James and Magnum in the ocean.</p><p>« It was great, Mommy. She taught me about leis. Did you know there are different leis for boys and girls? »</p><p>« Really? That’s interesting. »</p><p>Juliet often pretended not to know certains facts because she loved how enthusiastic her daughter got when she could explain something to her. While Ellie was reciting all the new things she had learned, she handed her daughter her bathing suit so she could change.</p><p>Once she was in proper beach attire, Higgins urged her to sit in front of her so she could tame her long, straight hair into a French braid so as not to gather all the sand from the beach in her locks. Juliet cherished those privileged moments she could share with her daughter.</p><p>« Mommy? »</p><p>« Yes, Sweets? »</p><p>« Will you teach me how to play chess? »</p><p>Juliet smiled. Her daughter was so eager to learn about anything and everything and has always been curious about her playing chess.</p><p>« Well chess is quite complicated for someone your age. Maybe we could start by playing checkers first, what do you think? »</p><p>« Checkers? Okay. »</p><p>« We can start this afternoon during your brother’s nap. »</p><p>Ellie rose up and turned to Juliet again, showing her mother all of her teeth when she threw her a wide grin.</p><p>« Yay! I can’t wait! »</p><p>She threw her arms around her mother.</p><p>« I love you, Mommy. »</p><p>Juliet squeezed her daughter against her body.</p><p>« I love you too, Baby. »</p><p>She just had time to grab Ellie’s wrist before she ran away from her.</p><p>« What about sunscreen, young lady? »</p><p>Her daughter groaned but came back to her mother anyway. While she lathered her daughter’s small body she couldn’t help notice how much of Magnum she carried in her features, except for her serious expression - that was all her.</p><p>« Water or sand? » she asked the little girl when she was finished with the sunscreen.</p><p>« Sand, I want to build a castle. »</p><p>« Ok, » Juliet answered and turned around to grab a blue Tiger cap to place on her daughter’s head. « There you go, all set. »</p><p>« Thanks Mommy. »</p><p>Ellie grabbed all her building sandcastle equipment and was off in no time. Just at that moment she saw Magnum and James come out of the water, her son trying to keep his balance while walking in the sand in a rush to join her.</p><p>« Mama. »</p><p>When he finally got to her he climbed on her lap and kissed her face wherever he could reach like he hadn’t seen her in hours. Juliet chuckled at her snuggly baby’s PDA and grabbed a towel to wrap around his cold, little body.</p><p>« Easy, James. I’m not going anywhere. Did you have fun with Daddy? »</p><p>He answered her in his own blabber and she understood the words wave, dada and fun. Magnum finally joined them after stopping to check on Ellie and her castle.</p><p>James’ attention was immediately drawn to his sister.</p><p>« Ellie, » he said, pointing his finger to the little girl playing in the sand.</p><p>« Okay, Baby. You can join Ellie but you don’t ruin her castle this time, ok? » She admonished her toddler.</p><p>« Okay Mama. »</p><p>She grabbed his own Tigers cap, which was something akin to a uniform if you were part of the Magnum family, and let her son go join his sister, while she kept an eye on him.</p><p>« How's your anniversary so far, Mrs Magnum? » Thomas asked her as he sat next to her on her beach towel and pressed a kiss on her shoulder.</p><p>« Great. I'm spending the day with the most perfect husband and the 2 perfect children he gave me, » she answered as she turned her head towards him for a short kiss on the lips.</p><p>« Must be quite a nice guy, » he told her with a smirk.</p><p>« The best. And tonight he's taking me out on a date. »</p><p>« Oh, is he? »</p><p>« Yes, Kumu agreed to babysit, » she informed her husband.</p><p>She threw a quick glance towards her children to make sure everything was fine.</p><p>« Mmh, better make reservations then unless you want to eat fish and chips at La Mariana, » Magnum pondered.</p><p>« Don’t worry, it’s already done, » she told him smugly.</p><p>« Are you sure you're not the one taking Mr. Perfect on a date ? » He asked her.</p><p>« Maybe I am, » she said as she looked at him again and threw him a cheeky grin.</p><p>His lips stretched in a wide smile.</p><p>« Lucky me. »</p><p>He leaned towards her to share a sweet kiss.</p><p>« I love you, » she breathed against his lips.</p><p>« I love you too. You’re the love of my life, Babe. »</p><p>Juliet sighed happily as she caressed his cheek, her heart beating wildly in her chest like every time her husband told her he loved her.</p><p>They were interrupted by cries coming from the sandcastle building site.</p><p>"Daddy! JT destroyed my castle!" </p><p>They both sighed and chuckled. It wasn’t funny as per say to be interrupted mid declaration of love but they wouldn’t have it any other way. Their family meant the world to both of them.</p><p>« Until tonight, my love, » he promised her.</p><p>He went to their children to settle the argument and help Ellie build her castle back while Higgins watched them, the three most important people of her life. </p><p>She smiled at the thought of all the progress they had made since their fake marriage became a real one. </p><p>The introvert who liked quiet and the extrovert who loved noise made a compromise; and that was basically what marriage was all about. </p><p>Especially if you wanted it to last forever. </p><p>
  
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  <strong>THE END</strong>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I might be inspired to write little OS about this family because I enjoyed writing about them. Let me know if you would be interested :)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'd love to hear what you thought ;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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